desert born
by DiscordianSamba
Summary: AU. The last thing Shiro expects to find out in the middle of the desert is a child- much less one that's purple.
1. ten

Ah yes, time for an idea that I've been tinkering with for awhile now! Also known as the series where Shiro inadvertently adopts a half alien orphan who lives in the middle of the desert, you know, as you do. This one his mostly driven by character interaction rather than plot, and will focus on each year of Keith's life after Shiro meets him up to his canon age- so expect nine chapters in total!

With that said, please enjoy!

* * *

 **desert born**

 **ten**

* * *

If he thinks back, he can still remember it like it was yesterday.

Which is impressive, given the head trauma.

He'd been seventeen, at the time. Old enough to decide that going on a trip to the desert was a good idea, but still young enough to not realize that _maybe_ telling people where you're going beforehand is _also_ a good idea. He actually, for the life of him, could not recall any longer _why_ he'd wanted to trek through the desert that day in the first place, but he supposed that in the long run, the reasons kind of didn't matter.

The results did.

Namely, slipping and cracking his skull on a rock.

 _Not_ one of his better moments.

He'd blacked out, in the middle of the desert, with only enough lingering consciousness between hitting his head and passing out to comprehend just what a bad fix he was in. The odds of someone finding him out here in the desert?

Low, to say the least.

So when he'd woken up next in some kind of shack, he muttered a silent prayer to god.

It was what came next that had him wondering if he was seeing things- that maybe he was still out in the desert, dying of dehydration. Because _hallucination_ would be a good way to explain the purple child.

The _very_ purple child.

Said purple child was peering down at him, his eyes a solid yellow, devoid of any pupils. His stark black hair was a startling contrast to the lavender of his skin, wild and tangled, as if it hadn't been touched by a brush for years. There was a deeper brush of violet that touched each of his cheeks, like some kind of mark.

"Who...?" Shiro croaked out, his head still swimming.

"Water." The child spoke, his own voice cracking as if he hadn't used it for this purpose in years. "You need water."

Before he could say anything else, the purple child darted away. Grunting, Shiro tried to sit up, but judging from the pain that caused him, he quickly decided that was a bad idea, and laid back down again. He was in some sort of shack, dusty and rundown- hell, the only table in the room was just a board on top of some cinder blocks.

"Here." The child returned before long, thrusting a cup of water in his face. "Drink. It's clean."

Squinting, Shiro peered suspiciously down at the cup- before slowly accepting it from the child. It was only then that he became aware that in addition to being purple, he also possessed _claws_ , rather vicious looking ones at that.

Still, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, and he _was_ awfully thirsty. Taking slow, measured sips, he gradually drained the cup of water.

It didn't help with the head pain, but it _did_ make him feel better.

"Thank you." Shiro gave the strange child a smile, not a hard feat to accomplish, given that he was, in fact, genuinely grateful for the help. Even if there _was_ still a chance this could all be some kind of hallucination.

The purple child merely blinked, taking the cup from his hands. "More?"

"Later." Shiro told him. "Were you the one who found me?"

Nodding his head, the child seemed to frown, his brow furrowing. "You were hurt."

Surely, he thought, the child couldn't have brought him back here by himself. Even from his position on the couch, he could tell the kid was a tiny scrap of a thing. If he stood up, he'd probably come up to his waist, at best.

"Are your... are your parents around, maybe?" Shiro asked.

The purple child merely shook his head. "Gone."

There was a finality to his words that gave him the impression they hadn't just gone to the supermarket to buy a pack of eggs. And that was when concern kicked in- because purple or not, this kid was still a kid, and if his hair was any indicator, then he'd probably been alone for awhile now.

And he _had_ saved him- so whoever this kid was, he couldn't be anyone bad.

"Gone... gone for how long?" He asked.

Frowning, the child set down the cup, seeming to count on his fingers. It was with a fresh sting of horror that he watched each finger go up, and before long, he held up four fingers.

"Four months?" Shiro asked.

Again, the child shook his head. "Four years."

Four years. _Four years_. Was this kid telling him that he had been alone in the desert for _four years_? Where... his parents, where had they gone? Died? Or maybe... they could have just left him, because just because the kid was purple, didn't mean his parents had been.

And that thought didn't sit right with him at all.

"How... how old are you, kid?" Shiro asked.

This time, the child held up his hands, and it took Shiro a moment to grasp he was showing him all his fingers. "Ten, huh?"

Ten. If his math was right, that meant he'd been alone out here since he was _seven_.

The child nodded, resting his hands on his knees. He had taken up squatting by the side of the couch, his feet bare- which were _also_ very purple, and very clawed. His clothes had been cut to fit better with no small degree of clumsiness, but he still swam in them, indicating that he'd been alone out here long enough to outgrow all of his old clothes.

"You're not gonna die, are you?" The child asked suddenly, tilting his head. "Dad fell too."

Part of the kid's life story was spelled out in those words, and Shiro couldn't help but wince. Lifting a hand, he lightly touched the back of his head, surprised to find that it had been bandaged. And not too poorly, either.

"No, I don't think so." He told him. "Probably going to leave a nasty lump, though. You bandage me up yourself?"

The child nodded. "Dad taught me."

"He taught you pretty well then." Shiro observed, letting his head fall back on the pillow. "Is it just you out here?"

Once again, the child nodded his head. "Dad said it's not safe for me to go into town." He told him, scrunching his nose. "Cause people there might want to hurt me."

It was only then that kid seemed to connect the dots, jolting to his feet, scampering away from him in a hurry. "You don't- you're not going to-!"

"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." Shiro assured him. "You saved me."

The child seemed to relax at his words, but still kept his distance, as if he had suddenly become wary of the near adult he had brought into his home. He'd done so without first thinking about the consequences- which was pretty telling over his overall character. "You swear?"

"I swear." Shiro told him, holding up one hand. "Here, we can do a pinky promise."

It was a bit on the childish side, he'd admit, but it seemed like it would do the trick.

The child merely blinked, tilting his head. "Pinky promise?"

"Yup." Holding out his pinky, Shiro smiled. "Come here, I'll teach you."

Frowning, the child hesitantly edged closer, until he lingered by the side of the couch. Holding out his own hand, he mimicked him, sticking out his own pinky. Carefully, so as not to startle him, he linked it with his own, slowly bobbing them up and down.

The texture of the kid's skin was rough, yet not dry. Not quite like anything he'd felt before.

"There. Now if I break my promise, I'll have to swallow a thousand needles." Shiro told him, drawing his pinky away.

"That sounds like it would hurt." The child remarked, brow furrowing.

"That's the idea." Shiro told him. "That's how you know I'll keep my word."

That seemed to convince the kid, enough for him to take his perch at the side of the couch back up, once more squatting before him, watching him with curious eyes. "Keith."

His name. It was... more normal than he expected, actually.

"Nice to meet you, Keith." Shiro smiled. "I'm Shiro."

"Shiro." Keith mouthed, clearly getting used to the feel of it on his lips. It struck him in that moment, that he was probably the only human contact the kid had in the past four years. "Do you want more water?"

"Maybe just a bit more." Shiro told him, briefly wondering where he was getting it from. If his father had been prepared to live out in the desert with him, it was possible he'd stockpiled it somewhere- either that, or he'd taught his son how to find it.

Watching as Keith wordlessly left the room, Shiro grunted, forcing himself to sit up. His head swam at the effort, his vision blurring for the span of a second, but it settled before long.

The shack had seen better days, clearly. He wondered how long it had been out here- how long Keith and his father had been out here, before he'd fallen. What drove a man with a small child out into this far into the desert?

Said child being _purple_ , he guessed, watching as Keith returned with a full cup of water, all but thrusting it into his hands. Taking it from him, he gave him a small smile, drinking it again in measured sips.

Was it some kind of mutation? He'd never heard of any skin disease that could turn a person purple, much less let them grow _claws_. Now that he was upright, he noted that the kid's ears were pointy, sticking out from his mess of black hair.

What did he do for food, Shiro wondered. If his father had brought his son all the way out to the desert to hide him from prying eyes, he was willing to bet he probably had a stockpile of canned goods, but those could only go so far. And while Keith seemed on the scrawny side, he didn't appear malnourished, at least, so he must have been getting food from _somewhere_.

Hunting?

This, Shiro decided, was not a situation that he could leave alone.

"Dad said most people need a lot of water." Keith seemed to mutter, almost half to himself. "He used to drink a lot."

There was a distance to his words that made Shiro lift his brows. "You don't?"

The child merely shook his head, wordlessly taking the cup back from him. He didn't seem to be all that great at making conversation, but given how long he had been left alone, that didn't come as too much of a surprise to him.

"What was your father like?" Shiro asked.

"Nice." Keith told him, his voice almost a whisper. "He taught me all kinds of stuff. He used to be a pilot."

He had to admit, that came as a bit of relief to him. "A pilot, huh?"

Nodding his head, Keith almost seemed to beam- and it was only then that he took notice of the kid's _fangs_. "He told me that he worked for a place called the Galaxy Garrison. He built the shack here because it was close."

Now _that_ caught his attention. His father had been Garrison?

"You know, I'm a cadet over at the Garrison." Shiro told him. "I'll be graduating in a year. I'm going to be a pilot too."

Keith seemed to perk up at that, leaping to his feet. "You're going to be a pilot? Have you been to space?"

Unable to help himself, Shiro smiled. "Not to space, not just yet. But I'll get my chance soon enough. That said, I'll only be orbiting around Earth, but I'll be up there. Do you like space?"

Keith nodded his head, those strange yellow eyes bright. "Dad said mom came from space."

And at that, Shiro couldn't help but blink. Because that explained _a lot_.

It also apparently meant extraterrestrial life was _real_ , and that he was currently in the process of making first contact. Or well, _second_ contact, he guessed- first contact would have been Keith's father, whoever he was.

Although if Keith had been born on Earth, did it really even count?

"Your mom, huh?" Shiro asked. "Does she... where is she now?"

Glancing down at his feet, Keith's toes curled. "She had to leave." He told him, reverting back to that faint whisper. "She had to go fight a war against some real bad guys."

It sounded like something out of a fairy tale- or a space opera, given the setting, but when the words came from a purple child, he felt more inclined to believe them.

"She wanted to take me, but she couldn't." He told him. "It wasn't safe."

He... couldn't dispute that, not exactly. Bringing your child into a war zone did not sound like the world's best parenting decision. He couldn't imagine she would have ever anticipated that the one she had left him with would have died so unexpectedly.

Although the idea that there was some kind of space war raging out there was... _concerning_ , to say the least.

"Do you know why she came to Earth?" Shiro asked, more than a little curious about this apparent interstellar visitor- one who had, presumably, left behind a half human son.

"M'not supposed to tell." Keith told him.

...well, that was cryptic.

But he wasn't going to force the kid to talk- he had basically just earned his trust. "That's okay, you don't have to."

"Any chance you remember where you found me, though?" Shiro asked. "If I don't head back to the Garrison soon, they'll probably send a search party out after me."

Jerking his head up, Keith seemed to frown. "You're leaving?"

There was something so... _heartbreaking_ about the way he said that, a _yearning_ to his words. It made sense- he had been alone out here for so long, and he was probably the first human he had spoken to since his father passed.

Humans, even half humans, were not meant to be creatures of solitude- especially not ones so young.

"I'll come back." Shiro promised him. "If you want me to."

To say that Keith leapt at the offer was an understatement. "You promise?"

"Yeah, I promise." Slowly rising to his feet, he ignored the stinging pain in his head. "Do you want to make another pinky promise?"

Keith seemed to think about it for a moment, before he shook his head. "I don't need it. I trust you."

He had to wonder at that. After living in hiding for so long because he'd been told people from the outside world would hurt him, what was it about him that had earned Keith's trust so easily? Maybe he was just so lonely, that anyone would have done.

Good thing it was him who he had found, then.

Because he had zero intentions of breaking that trust- or his promise.

Because purple half alien or not, there was no way he could leave a ten year old child all alone in the desert to fend for himself.

* * *

Just as he said he would, he kept his promise.

He'd had to sneak out of the Garrison to do it, but he'd kept it. His injury wasn't severe- although a bit haphazard, Keith's treatment had proved effective, but he was still technically supposed to be resting. Only a week had passed- but with a kid like Keith, who knew what staying away longer would imply.

He didn't come empty handed this time either.

A week's time wasn't long enough to gather everything that he had wanted. There were clearly a lot of things that Keith needed, but this would do for a start, he thought, hefting the bag over his shoulder.

The shack was right where he remembered it, though he'd had to take a roundabout path to get there. He had memorized the path Keith had shown him, how to get from the shack to where he had left his hoverbike. Parking it a bit away from the shack, he made the rest of his way on foot.

He didn't want to risk startling the kid.

Striding up to the front door, Shiro frowned, setting the bag down next to him. Knocking on the door, he shifted on his feet. "Keith?"

There was a long silence, and then-

"Shiro?"

"Yeah, it's me." Shiro told him, a faint smile on his lips. "I said I'd come back, didn't I?"

No sooner than had he said that, was the door thrown open. There was Keith, just as purple as he remembered him- so he hadn't actually imagined that part, then. Huh.

He'd half convinced himself it was because of the minor concussion, but no, guess Keith really _was_ purple. That was... yeah, he could roll with that, he guessed.

"Shiro!" Keith sounded excited- genuinely excited to see him- and if he had any hesitation about coming to visit a purple half alien out in the middle of the desert, that pretty much took them all away. "You came back!"

"I promised, right?" Shiro told him. "And hey, I brought some stuff too."

Peering curiously at the bag, Keith brushed past him, jerking it open before he could stop him. Reaching in, he pulled out a can of beans. "Food?"

"Can't be that easy to get out here, right?" Shiro said.

"Not in _cans_." Keith said, making a slight face, putting the can back. "I kind find my own food, Shiro."

So he _did_ hunt, then. Somehow... maybe it was the fangs and the claws, but somehow he couldn't actually picture Keith having too much trouble with that.

"A varied diet is good for your health." Shiro told him, picking up the bag and dragging it inside the shack.

Crinkling his nose, Keith followed him in, shutting the door behind him. "You sound like my dad."

In spite of himself, Shiro let out a snort. Picky eater, then.

"You got a kitchen in this place?" Shiro asked. "Now I'm not much of a cook, but I can make some mean eggs."

Keith nodded, scooping up the bag he'd brought with him without another word. Opening his mouth to protest, he didn't get the chance, Keith already moving into another section of the shack with it, as if it weighed nothing.

Then again, he _had_ carried him out all this way, so... guess the kid was stronger than those scrawny arms of his let on. Huh.

Following behind him, Shiro ducked into the doorway. The kitchen was small, barely big enough for one person to move around in, much less two, and looked as if it hadn't been used in quite some time.

"M'not supposed to use the kitchen." Keith informed him, setting down the bag. "Dangerous."

Shiro blinked at that. If Keith had been catching his own food, then how was he...?

Had- had he been eating what he caught _raw_?

He was just... going to file that piece of information away with _things he didn't want to think about right now_ , for the time being.

"I can teach you." Shiro told him. "If you want."

Shifting on his feet a little, Keith chewed on his lip. He was half convinced he'd pierce his skin with those fangs of his, but no blood was drawn. "Okay."

"Yeah?" Shiro smiled. "Well, first things first- where do you keep your pans?"

Pulling himself wordlessly up onto the counter, Shiro had to grimace as Keith placed his bare feet on it. He'd clearly have to review some basic hygiene rules with him at some point.

The pan that was presented to him was well worn, almost burnt. Mentally adding _cookware_ to his list, he inwardly grimaced, already tallying up the costs. He was sent a regular allowance, but somehow he sensed that it wouldn't quite be enough to cover everything that Keith needed.

Watching as Keith jumped down from the counter, Shiro let out a faint sigh. The stovetop was gas, and looked like it hadn't been used since the kid's father had died- hopefully it still worked, and didn't just blow up in his face.

Holding his breath, it took a moment for the flame to light- but once it did, he let it out. Okay so, the stove worked. As far as he could tell, there was no oven, or even a microwave here, and the small fridge didn't look like it could hold much.

...actually, how was this place even still getting power?

Filing that away with questions to ask later, Shiro instead focused himself on the task at hand- eggs. He'd have to use them all up, but that wouldn't be a problem. Something told him Keith had a hearty appetite.

"Alright kiddo," glancing down towards Keith, he flashed him a grin, "...ready to learn how to make some fried eggs?"

The wordless, eager nod of his head was all that he needed.

* * *

By his second visit, Shiro knew money was going to be an issue.

And okay, sure- there was no reason that he had to buy stuff for Keith. He had been surviving out here just fine with what he had. But there was a big difference between surviving and _living_ , and it was about time Keith got to experience some of the latter.

"It's for me?" Keith asked, giving the large box a shake.

"I don't see anyone else around here." Shiro told him, a faint smile on his face. The lack of pupils did nothing to undermine the excitement on Keith's face. "Go ahead and open it."

Keith watched him for a moment longer, before he set the box back down. For a second, he almost thought he'd disappear somewhere into the shack again, to fetch something to cut it open with.

He forgot about the claws, somehow.

They were sharp enough to slice away at the tape, tearing it apart. Keith, he was starting to learn, _could_ be patient, but in the fashion of just about any other child his age, didn't _like_ being patient.

 _Patience yields focus_ , some part of him wanted to supply, but for now he'd just let the ten year old boy be a ten year old boy. Who knew how often he got the chance.

"...red."

Keith's whisper was faint, but just loud enough for him to make out. Taking a seat on the floor across from him, Shiro watched him peer at the box's contents. "You said you liked red."

"Yeah." Keith said, nodding his head. "It's my favorite."

"So I got red." Shiro told him. "I thought you might want to have some clothes that fit, but if you don't like them..."

"No!" Keith said quickly, draping himself over the box as if he thought Shiro was going to steal them away from him. "I like these. They're mine, you said so."

Holding up his hands, Shiro merely grinned. "They're all yours, kiddo. Hope they fit okay, I kind of guessed at your size."

He'd ordered them online- _maybe_ he was just overthinking things, but he couldn't help but feel weird about walking into a store and buying children's clothes. Thank goodness he had a gift card lying around that he'd never found a use for, which solved the money issue for the time being, but even if the clothes had been cheap, they'd still added up.

And kids generally did this thing where they _grew_.

Come next year, he would graduate, and get a job with the Galaxy Garrison as a pilot, but until then... maybe he should consider a part time job.

Wow, he'd... he'd really committed himself to this, hadn't he?

What else was he supposed to do? Just leave Keith out here by himself? Now that he was damn certain that he wasn't just the product of head trauma, he couldn't just _forget_ about him. He had no one else, and purple or not, half alien or not, a child was still a child- and he was not about to let a child live by himself, out in the middle of the desert.

And since taking him _out_ of the desert wasn't an option... well, he would just have to make do.

So... yeah, he'd committed himself to this.

(Should he call his mother and tell her that she had a grandson now? His name is Keith and he's purple.)

God. Of all the things he expected to do at seventeen, inadvertently adopting a half-alien child wasn't one of them.

* * *

Washing Keith's hair was perhaps the biggest trial yet.

"You said," he gasped out, through big, dramatic (a little _over_ dramatic if you asked him) tears, "...you said you wouldn't hurt me."

"I know, buddy." Shiro told him. "But we gotta take care of your hair at some point."

The low whine that escaped Keith was one he was damn sure no human could ever hope to reproduce. At least he had stopped thrashing, seeming to have resigned himself to it. Instead, he'd taken to sulking, going limp in his hands like he was just waiting for the torture to be over.

"You know, if you'd been brushing your hair, it wouldn't have gotten this bad." Shiro reminded him, frowning as he ran into yet another matted tangle. He had expected it to be bad, he just hadn't expected it to be _this_ bad.

"Don't wanna."

"You gotta." Shiro told him, carefully working the knot out of his hair, bit by bit. "Otherwise you and I are going to be doing this every month."

Jerking his head back, Keith glowered at him. "No."

"Then you gotta start brushing your hair, kiddo." Shiro told him. "Now close your eyes, time for more shampoo."

By the time Keith's hair was thoroughly washed, the worst of the mats out of it, Shiro was thoroughly soaked. If he'd known it was going to be this bad, he'd have stripped to his pants, just like Keith had. It was a good thing he'd dry off quickly in the desert air, because he'd have a hard time explaining to anyone at the Garrison why he had come back soaking wet.

"There." Shiro told him. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Keith, however, was still sulking, his arms now tightly folded in front of his chest. "I hate you."

"No you don't." Shiro said, using a towel to dry Keith's hair. "Trust me, you're going to feel a lot better without all those mats in your hair."

"Am not!" Keith protested- and at this point, he was damn sure the kid was being stubborn purely for the sake of being stubborn. "Shiro's just _mean_!"

"Does that mean you don't want me to come back?" Shiro asked.

Keith went rigid under his hands- and before he could even react, he'd jerked to his feet, spinning around, golden eyes wide. "No!"

"...no, you don't want me to come back?" Shiro asked, even though he knew damn well what he meant.

"No, I-!" Keith stammered, dropping his gaze, shuffling his feet. "I want- I want you to come back."

"I thought you hated me?" Shiro asked.

Gaze dropping more, Keith's brow furrowed. "I don't... that was a lie."

"You shouldn't lie, Keith." Shiro chided him.

" _You_ lied." Keith huffed, leveling his gaze with him. If there had ever been any creep factor associated with those eyes, it was long gone now. "You said you wouldn't hurt me, and that hurt _a lot_."

Back to that again, huh.

"Only because you let your hair get that bad." Shiro told him. "Can you promise me you'll take better care of it so that we don't have to do that again?"

Frowning, Keith folded his arms in front of his chest- before letting out a loud huff. "Fine. I promise."

"Good to hear it." Shiro told him. "Now sit back down, I need to finish drying your hair."

Grumbling, Keith plopped back down, crossing his legs in front of him.

* * *

It came as no surprise to him that just like any other ten year old boy, Keith did not care for cleaning.

That much was evident from the state of the shack- it was hard to find a surface that _wasn't_ covered with a thin layer of either dust or sand, sometimes- _often_ \- both. He'd lost track of the times he had sat down somewhere without first wiping it down, only to rise with a generous helping of sand stuck to his pants.

So cleaning- cleaning was his next priority.

Keith had grumbled about it at first, saying there was no point, but once Shiro had gotten started, he'd eventually caved. He liked the idea of sitting around and doing nothing while others were working even less than he liked the idea of cleaning.

Which was good, because he'd need the extra hands. The shack itself wasn't that big, but it was crammed full of all kinds of papers and old books- research, of some kind. More than half of it was written in code, and he could only assume that Keith's father had been working on it before he died.

Keith's father.

He'd meant to look into him- to maybe check Garrison records, but he'd never gotten around to it. If he'd really been a pilot there, then there likely would have been something on him- especially if he just vanished one day.

He wanted to learn more about what kind of man he was- what kind of man would isolate himself out in the desert in order to protect his son. There didn't seem to be any pictures of him around- or of Keith, for that matter. Maybe there just weren't any.

It was a reasonable assumption, until it proved otherwise.

It slipped out from the pages of one of the old books- he might not have even noticed it if it hadn't fallen on his foot. Stooping down, Shiro scooped it up, turning what he at first thought was a piece of white paper over in his hands.

It wasn't paper.

It was a photograph.

Staring back at him was a broad shouldered man, a scar nicking one of his brows. He had black hair and a warm smile, and was kneeling down, hands on the tiny shoulders of a child that couldn't be older than two or three. Some small part of him supplied that the child was probably Keith.

Except they weren't purple.

The black hair was the same, but the toddler's other features... he had _pupils_ , for one. The color seemed to be blue, or maybe even purple- it was difficult to tell from the photograph. There was no trace of any claws, and the teeth that were bared in a broad smile were all rounded, no fangs in sight.

"Keith?"

He caught his attention, the child wordlessly plodding over towards him.

"What's this?"

Passing the photograph to him, he watched as Keith's face lit up. A clawed finger hovering over that of the man's face, he peered up at Shiro. "Where did you find it?"

"In one of the books." He told him, carefully watching him so as to gauge his reaction. "Is... is that your father?"

Nodding, Keith smiled, holding the photograph closer. "Yeah."

"And that's... you, right?" Shiro asked, almost hesitant. What if he was wrong?

Keith merely nodded, as if he didn't see anything strange about it.

"So I take it you haven't always been purple then, huh." Shiro observed. He didn't... really know _what_ to make of that revelation.

Shaking his head, Keith scrunched his nose, then shrugged. "I got real sick. Dad says turning purple made me better."

It was an explanation that made him blink. From the sound of it, it must have happened when Keith was still pretty young- too young to remember it clearly, only his father's word to go off of. He couldn't even begin to claim that he understood enough about biology- much less _alien_ biology- to turn it into something sensible, so for the moment, he just decided to leave the explanation as is.

"It's good that you got better." He said instead- and meant it, too.

"Yeah. Dad said he was really worried." Keith told him. "Can I keep this?"

Sensing he meant the photograph, Shiro smiled. "It's yours, kiddo. Why don't we find somewhere to put it?"

There was a gleam in Keith's eyes at that- and Shiro couldn't help but let out a faint snort. Learning how to read them had taken time, but once he picked up the trick of it, it wasn't hard. Keith was actually pretty expressive.

"But we'll be going back to cleaning after."

The gleam died, turning into a glower.

Yep, Shiro thought to himself, watching him sulk, definitely just like any other ten year old.

* * *

The day he realized that Keith had to bury his own father was the day he decided.

Keith hadn't been in the shack when he came by that afternoon- which wasn't all that odd. He'd determined that he did, in fact, hunt- and oftentimes he would be out doing just that. But usually on such occasions, he would have left some kind of note.

(Keith _could_ write- his handwriting was sloppy, but it was getting better. He just hadn't had that much practice.)

None today. Frowning, Shiro cracked open the door to the shack, quickly determining that Keith was not simply asleep somewhere inside. That happened a lot too. He slept near as much as cat, he swore.

Closing the door behind him, Shiro shifted on his heels, a deep set frown on his features. Had something happened? This was what he always worried about, leaving Keith alone out here like this- and if he had a choice in the matter, he would have brought Keith back to the Garrison with him long ago.

But even if Keith _wasn't_ afraid of the outside world, he could tell that was a bad move. If his father, who worked for the Garrison, had never consulted with them about his son, then it was safe to say he probably knew something he didn't.

Stepping away from the shack, he walked around to the back. He'd never actually looked around the place before- just inside. The first thing he that caught his eyes was what looked to be a half finished project of some kind, covered by a dusty tarp.

The second thing was the stack of stones, and the small child kneeling in front of them.

In that sinking instant, he recognized it.

A grave.

It should have been obvious, in hindsight. Keith knew his father was dead- and no one else knew that they had been out here.

Ergo, Keith had been the one to find his father.

Ergo, Keith had _buried him_.

At the foot of the grave, Keith faintly stirred, looking up at Shiro. He hadn't been crying, but there was... he'd seen Keith go quiet before, when they talked about something he didn't like, but he'd never actually seen the kid looking _sad_.

Now he had.

He wished he could take it back.

Not the sight of it, just... _everything_. Everything bad that had happened to Keith. Everything that had lead up to this moment.

"Shiro."

His voice took on that soft whisper, the one it took on when things hurt.

Standing next to him, Shiro gazed down at the stack of stones. For a split second, he wondered if his father had been dead or alive when Keith brought him back to the shack, but that thought was so morbid, that he pushed it out of his mind. "Your father?"

Slowly nodding his head, Keith's gaze fixed back on the grave. "He died today."

He didn't question how Keith knew- he had an old calendar that he used to keep track of time. He didn't have the heart to tell him since it failed to account for the leap year, he was off by exactly one day.

(His birthday, screwing things up.)

"I'm sorry."

The words sounded so weak, so _meaningless_ , but he didn't know what else to say.

"Not your fault." Keith whispered. "Mine."

Stooping down next to him, Shiro frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"Cause if I were _normal_ , we wouldn't have to live out here." Keith muttered, his voice so low that he nearly didn't catch it.

The words seized at him. All this time, he'd been under the impression that Keith was never bothered by how he looked. After all, he never said anything- not even when he'd been shown a photograph of his own human face. Thinking back on it though, he hadn't paid any attention to the image of his toddler self- just to the one of his father.

But he... Keith _was_.

He had been raised in isolation, but he understood enough to know just how _different_ he was. It was why he had never sought help after his father died, even though he'd easily be able to make it to the nearest town on foot.

His being here was... did their encounter only serve to reinforce that fact? A reminder that he would never be able to live a normal life, that he would always have to remain on the outskirts, an outsider?

He _was_ human, but not enough.

"Keith, you're not-" Shiro began, before cutting himself off.

He couldn't claim that Keith was _normal_. That would just be lying.

"It's not your fault." Shiro told him. "I promise you, your father didn't die because of that."

He wasn't convinced, but he did finally look at him. "Do you think mom would come and get me if she knew I was purple like her?"

"I'm sure she would, kiddo." Shiro told him- though he had no way of knowing that for sure. He knew even less about Keith's mother than he did about his father. "She'd have come in a heartbeat if she knew your dad fell."

Slowly nodding his head, Keith leaned over, resting it against Shiro's arm. Careful not to disturb him too much, he shifted it, pulling Keith closer.

"I miss him."

Softly stroking his hair, Shiro listened to the faint rumble that rose from Keith's chest. "I know, kiddo."

"You won't leave me, right?"

Glancing down at him, Shiro let his gaze fall over Keith- and caught himself wondering how he'd ever found himself so strange the first time he'd seen him. Now that he'd spent time with him, all he could see was the _human_ in him, past all the purple.

"I won't." He told him. "I promise."

And he meant every word of it.


	2. eleven

No small animals were harmed in the making of chapter two, except for the two that totally were! Here we are, it's June, and yet here's some Halloween and Christmas, rolled up into one chapter. Shiro's wallet is the true MVP of this story, and somewhere out in the cosmos, Krolia feels proud of her tiny murder son.

* * *

 **desert born**

 **eleven**

* * *

"Halloween is soon, right?"

The sudden question drew Shiro's full attention towards Keith, falling on where he had settled, his back against the couch. "You know what Halloween is?"

He probably earned the look sent his way. "I live in the desert, not under a rock."

Fair point. It was hard, sometimes, determining exactly what Keith knew about the outside world and what he didn't- the last time he would have been able to go out in public would have been when he was around three years old, and since then, the only thing he had known was the desert.

Or at least, that was what he had managed to gather. He tried to avoid asking him too many pressing questions- he didn't like it.

"It's next weekend." Shiro told him. "Why?"

"Can you bring me some candy?" Keith asked, propping his arms up on the edge of the couch, pushing himself up on his knees. "Dad used to buy a _whole bunch_ when he went to town and we'd celebrate it along with my birthday."

Now _that_ caught his attention.

Not only because this was the first thing Keith had ever asked of him, but more importantly- "Your birthday?"

"Yeah." Keith nodded his head. "October 23rd."

And now he _really_ was paying attention. He'd missed Keith's birthday? "Keith, October 23rd already passed. Why didn't you say something?"

Keith, for his part, merely blinked, cocking his head to the side. "Does it matter?"

Opening his mouth to protest, wanting to say that something like a birthday was important, Shiro quickly shut it. He'd been living out here in the desert alone for the past four years, during which time four birthdays had passed without event. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that he wasn't making a big deal out of it.

"You should have told me earlier, kiddo." Shiro told him, a faint smile on his face. "I would have bought you something."

"You buy me things _all the time_." Keith told him, a slight frown on his face. "I'm not stupid, Shiro, I know about money."

"Never said you were." Shiro told him- though he had to admit, the statement took him by surprise. He'd never once complained about the hole in his wallet, but he guessed Keith knew more about how things worked outside of the desert than he gave him credit for.

Graduation couldn't come soon enough. Once spring rolled around, he'd have a proper job at the Galaxy Garrison, transporting cargo to the lunar base. It wasn't glamorous, but it paid well, and could lead to bigger and better things.

"But your dad bought you presents, right?" Shiro asked.

Scrunching his nose, Keith looked up at him. "Yeah, but he's my _dad_. You're _Shiro_."

Briefly wondering where that put him, Shiro merely blinked. "Not even a cake?"

Keith seemed to ponder the question for a moment- before he slowly nodded his head. "Okay. But candy too."

"Cake and candy it is then." Shiro said, mentally adding _more toothpaste_ to that shopping list- he didn't even _want_ to think about trying to find a dentist for Keith if he got himself a cavity- _if_ he could get a cavity. "Any preferences?"

He had tried introducing any number of things to Keith's diet- but sweets hadn't been one of them, not yet. Which, now that he thought about it, was a painful oversight, given the fact that Keith was, in fact, a child.

If his sweet tooth was anything close to the one _he'd_ had as a child... Shiro let out a silent laugh at the memory, perfectly willing to admit he hadn't entirely grown out of it.

"Can it be chocolate?" Keith asked. "I like chocolate."

"Chocolate it is then, kiddo." Shiro told him, reaching down to lightly ruffle Keith's hair, fond smile on his face as a low rumble escaped from the child's chest. He was pretty sure that was purring, or at least, something very close to it.

"So you're eleven now, huh?" Shiro asked.

"Yup." Keith told him, pushing himself up to his feet. "When's your birthday, Shiro?"

"February 29th." Shiro told him.

Squinting, Keith eyed him with suspicion. "That doesn't exist."

"Once every four years, it does." Shiro told him. "It's called a leap year."

Keith still looked at him like he thought he was making it up, trying to play some kind of trick on him. "Prove it."

Letting out a faint laugh, Shiro reached into his back pocket, pulling out his phone. "Okay, I'll prove it. C'mere."

Watching him with a wary gaze, Keith slowly sat on the couch next to him, peering over his shoulder and down at his phone. Bringing up the calendar app, he mentally calculated when the next leap year was, and brought up the according calendar.

"See?" Shiro told him. "February 29th."

Keith all but snatched the phone from him, peering at it with suspicion- before he turned those golden eyes back towards Shiro, holding his gaze for a long moment. "That's weird."

"Weird but real." Shiro told him. "Can I have my phone back?"

Wordlessly handing his phone back to him, Keith sprung off the couch, disappearing elsewhere into the house. He came back after a moment, all but thrusting the old calendar he used to keep track of time in his face. "Why isn't it on here?"

"Like I said, it only happens once every four years." Shiro told him, gaze flickering down to where today's date was marked. "Today's not actually Thursday, is it?"

"Can't be, you're here." Keith told him.

" _Maybe_ I should buy you a new calendar." Shiro observed.

Keith stared at him for a long moment, before he nodded his head, disappearing back the way he went. He was just going to take that as a _yes_.

He had gotten better at conversation, but he was still pretty rough around the edges. Not that he could blame the kid- after all, he was the first person that he'd had a chance to talk to in four years, and he was perfectly happy to sit in silence if that was what Keith wanted.

He wished he could introduce Keith to more people- but he didn't know how well the idea would go over with him. Keith trusted him, but when it came to anyone else... it was clear that his fear of the outside world was as deeply rooted as his curiosity about it. Suffice to say, it made for an odd mix.

Besides, he didn't even know _who_ he would introduce Keith to. Who did he even know that he could trust with the existence of a half alien kid living out in the desert?

Professor Holt, _maybe_.

Speaking of the Garrison though, Shiro looked down at his phone with a grimace. If he didn't start heading back now, he wouldn't make it for lights out.

"Keith!" Shiro called out, getting to his feet.

The boy in question poked his head out from the other room, face falling when he saw the expression on Shiro's. "You have to leave?"

"I'll be back tomorrow." Shiro promised him. "And next weekend, I'll be sure to bring the cake."

" _And_ candy." Keith was quick to add.

Letting out a laugh, Shiro grinned. " _And_ candy."

(He bought Keith a birthday present anyways.)

* * *

For once, he spotted Keith before he spotted him.

The spot of purple and black stood out in the earth tones of the desert- as soon as his eyes focused on it, he realized that it was Keith. Bringing his hoverbike to a stop, Shiro got off, just about to call out to him when he realized what it was he was so focused on.

He _knew_ Keith hunted- he'd seen him return to the shack any number of times now with _something_ shoved into a dirty sack. The first time he had opened the small fridge, it had been something akin to a horror show- raw meat strewn about and old bloodstains clinging to just about every surface, including, _somehow_ , its roof.

It had been a sharp reminder that Keith _wasn't_ fully human.

(And that he really needed to give the kid some lessons in _hygiene_.)

If not one that he had learned not to let bother him. Canned goods could only take him so far- if hunting and eating raw meat had kept him alive, then... well, that was a good thing, he guessed.

(He'd still nearly gagged that one time he watched Keith bite the head off a lizard.)

So he knew Keith hunted, but this was the first time Shiro had ever caught him at it.

Shielding his eyes with his hands, he tried to make out what it was that Keith was so focused on. Maybe _patience yields focus_ wasn't actually a lesson that he needed to give him. He wondered how long he had been lying in wait there, quiet as a mouse, until his presence became a part of his surroundings.

There was a jackrabbit some feet away from him, oblivious to the presence of its hunter. Keith was crouched low, bare feet digging into the sand, one clawed hand resting on the ground, and the other fixed behind his back, hovering over the hilt of a knife.

Where had he gotten a _knife_ from?

There were some in the kitchen, but Keith solemnly listened to his deceased father's edict not to touch them. It didn't look anything like one of the kitchen knives either, even from this distance.

When Keith moved, it was fast, without warning. If he had so much as blinked, he was sure to have missed it. One instant, his hand was still lingering on the hilt of his knife, and in another, he'd _thrown it_ with unerring accuracy, striking the jackrabbit a fair distance away from him.

Once again, he found himself reminded of the fact that Keith wasn't fully human.

He knew that he had good reflexes, but this was the first time he saw them applied like this. Watching as Keith pulled himself up from his crouch, he silently observed as the child made his way over towards the jackrabbit, retrieving his knife. With just a flick of his wrist, the blood that stained it was dashed off it, leaving him free to sheath it behind his back.

It was only after he shoved the dead rabbit in the sack that he finally noticed him.

Golden eyes turned towards Shiro, and in that instant, the hunter was gone, replaced again by the child. With a bright smile on his face, Keith waved a hand, calling his name.

Shiro merely lifted his own, returning the smile. Keith did what he had to do to survive- and for all he knew, this was _natural_ for his mother's people. Keith wasn't entirely human, so judging him entirely on that basis wasn't exactly fair.

Even if it could be just a _bit_ hard to process, sometimes.

He watched as Keith slung the sack over his shoulder, scrambling up sheer rock to get to him. They would have dug into his palms and bare feet were he human, but he knew from experience that Keith's skin was tough, difficult to penetrate.

He also knew that in spite of the fact that rock and sand alike had been warmed by the bright desert sun, that Keith could barely feel it. He didn't appear to be capable of getting sunburned, and even on the hottest days, was largely unaffected by the sweltering heat. He didn't know if this was normal for his mother's kind, or if his body had simply adapted to living in the desert after so long.

"Shiro!" Keith beamed, excited to see him as he ever was.

"Hey kiddo." Reaching down to lightly ruffle his hair, Shiro smiled. "Was just on my way to see you. You want to hop on?"

Perking up at the offer, Keith quickly nodded his head.

"In that case, get on." Shiro told him, swinging his leg back over the hoverbike, taking a seat. "Hold on to my shoulders so you don't fall off."

Keith did just that, and Shiro tried not to think too much about the dead animal in the sack that hung from his shoulder. Powering up the hoverbike, he streaked across the desert, not missing the excited bubble of laughter that tore itself from Keith.

They reached the shack in short order, Keith seeming disappointed that the ride was over. He was sullen the entire walk back to the house, and Shiro made a mental note to take him out on the hoverbike again sometime.

Watching as Keith unbuckled the belt from around his waist, unhitching the knife and its sheath from it, Shiro frowned. "What's that you have there?"

Glancing up towards him, Keith blinked, before offering it to him after a second. He hadn't expected that, but he took it from him, turning over the sheath in his hands.

"Mom left it for me." Keith supplied. "The sheath is dad's, though."

His _alien_ mother, Shiro noted, drawing the knife with some care. It was like no blade he had seen before- it was polished, almost reflective, a strange stone set in its hilt, the sigil etched into it almost seeming to _glow_.

No, he thought, turning it over in his hands. It was definitely _actually_ glowing.

A knife, he thought, was a curious item to leave behind for a child. Maybe she came from a warrior culture?

Sheathing it once more, Shiro handed it back to Keith, who held it tight to his chest. The action almost didn't make sense for a moment- before he realized that Keith had been afraid he might try to take it away from him.

And yet, he'd given it to him willingly anyways.

That was... he was _touched_ , if he had to be honest.

"It's a nice knife." Shiro told him, hoping to ease his fears. "Do you know what the sigil means?"

Keith blinked, tilting his head. "Sigil?"

"What's on the stone." Shiro told him.

"Oh." Keith blinked again, then shook his head. "Don't know. Dad says it's _ceremonial_."

He said the word like he was repeating it, and Shiro couldn't help but give him a smile. "You're careful with it though, right?"

Quickly nodding his head, Keith clutched it closer to him once more.

"That's all I wanted to know." Shiro told him. "I promise I'm not going to take it from you, Keith."

He perked up at that, a look of relief washing over his features.

"Now why don't you wash up and put," his gaze flickered towards the sack hanging on Keith's shoulder once more, "- _that_ away. I picked up a few new books from the library."

With a bright grin, Keith nodded his head, before scurrying off without another word. He heard the door to the small fridge open, the dead rabbit doubtlessly shoved inside.

And as much as he loved Keith, he silently vowed to never look inside the thing again.

* * *

"Heading out again, Shiro?"

Stopping in his tracks, Shiro drew in a breath before he turned around to face the person who had called out to him. "Professor Holt," he began, giving him what he _hoped_ wasn't a nervous smile, "-yeah, just leaving."

He knew the man as Professor Samuel Holt- at least it was him, as opposed to anyone else. He had a soft spot for the older man, and even though he didn't teach any classes related to his core curriculum, he'd sat in on a few of his biology courses from time to time.

His life's work, incidentally, was the existence of life outside Earth.

The frown on the man's face was mild, but nevertheless present. "You've been spending an awful lot of time in the desert lately."

"Just you know, found some interesting caves." Shiro lied.

Maybe investing in off campus housing once he graduated would be a good idea, Shiro thought. That way he wouldn't have to lie every time he left campus.

For the span of a moment, he briefly considered moving in with Keith- but quickly shelved the idea. As much as he would like to, there were days when it got so hot out in the desert that he couldn't even venture out there, much less _live_ there.

Keith might be indifferent to it, but _he_ sure wasn't. He still had no idea how Keith's father had managed. There was no air conditioning in the shack- at least, he hadn't found such a unit yet.

"Well you be careful out there." Samuel told him. "You took a pretty nasty fall all those months ago. You got pretty lucky."

"Don't worry, I've been pretty careful since then." Shiro told him, inwardly wincing at the lie. He wasn't fond of it. "Nothing teaches you the value of proper headgear like a concussion."

"Yes well, that's true." Samuel admitted, pausing to adjust his glasses. "Still, you watch your step. You caused quite the panic when you came back all banged up like that."

And now he _did_ wince, externally this time. "Sorry about that."

"No, nothing you have to apologize for." Samuel told him, shaking his head. "Just think it brought back a lot of bad memories for some folk around here, that's all."

And that Shiro did blink at. "Bad memories?"

"Oh, it would have been before your time." Samuel told him.

It was just a hunch, but something told him that this might be relevant.

"I've got some time." Shiro told him.

For a moment, the man studied him, before frowning. "There used to be a pilot, a skilled one at that, who just up and vanished into the desert one day. Went out and never came back."

A pilot.

Keith's father had been a pilot.

"Yeah?" Shiro asked, trying not to sound _too_ interested. "What was his name?"

At that, Samuel let out a faint chuckle. "Oh, I imagine you've seen it around before. His records are the ones you've been breaking lately."

Now that he mentioned it... what had that name been again?

"Kogane?" Shiro ventured, half uncertain.

"That's the one." Samuel said, nodding his head. "He was a bit rough around the edges, but a fine young man. Haven't seen talent around here like that since well, _you_. Shame about what happened."

"Him disappearing, you mean?" Shiro asked. Something in his tone made him think that there was a bit more to it than just that, though.

Samuel hesitated for a moment, before he finally responded. "That's a part of it, yes. Poor fellow, he'd lost his son some years before that."

A son.

He barely even heard the _lost_ part at first, too focused on the part that came right after.

"He had a son?" Shiro asked, hoping that he wasn't giving anything away on his face. He needed to know- needed some kind of confirmation that he was on the right path here.

"He'd be maybe a year younger than Matt now if he'd lived." Samuel told him, lips pursed as he tried to recall. "I believe his name was Keith."

 _Keith_.

So he really was- Keith's father, they were talking about _Keith's father_.

"What happened to him?" Shiro asked, almost hesitant. He knew that the Keith he knew was alive and well, but hearing that he was _dead_ from someone else... there was a surreal element to it.

If his father had claimed he was dead, he could hazard a guess as to why.

 _"I got_ _ **real**_ _sick. Dad says turning purple made me better."_

"Sickness, from the sound of it." Samuel told him. "Hit him real hard."

So it _was_ true, then. This man, this missing pilot, was really Keith's father. He was struck by a sudden desire to know more- so much more. What kind of man was he? When his son's fever had broke, only to find that he had turned purple, how had he taken it?

He wondered if Keith knew that people thought he was dead.

He wondered how much Keith even remembered from when he could still go out in public. Had his father ever introduced him to his coworkers? What had it been like, acting as if his only child was dead, when he knew he was very much alive?

But he could ask none of those questions, so instead, he opted for giving Samuel a curt nod. "I'd imagine."

"He was such a nice boy, too. Real sweet child." Samuel frowned. "I thought about introducing him to Matt, back in the day."

He blinked at that, once more caught off guard. "You knew him?"

"Oh sure." Samuel told. "He used to bring Keith to work all the time. Mother ran out on them, and he didn't trust babysitters."

He couldn't help but snort at that. So he didn't trust babysitters, but he _would_ have sex with an alien. This _Kogane_ sounded like an interesting man.

"Well, you don't have to worry about me, Professor Holt." Shiro told him. "I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon."

"Good to hear it." Samuel told him, before flashing him a smile. "You find anything interesting in those caves, you let me know. I might not look like it, but I've got an interest spelunking myself, you know."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Shiro promised, tasting the lie.

"Well then, don't let me hold you up any longer." Samuel told him.

Nodding his head, Shiro adjusted the strap of his bag. "See you later then, Professor Holt. And I'll be careful, I promise."

Turning on his heel, Shiro reflected on all that he had learned. He had a name to put with the face now, dredging up the image of the scarred man from the depths of his memory.

When he found Keith that afternoon, dozing on the dusty couch, it was with a new sense of understanding. He wanted to ask- to ask him if his father's last name had been Kogane, if _his_ last name was Kogane, but he decided against it.

He wanted Keith to come to him, not the other way around.

* * *

Christmas had never been that big of a holiday for him.

There was no religious sentiment to it for him, nor was it really something his family celebrated. It had been adopted by his home country in a sense, just not in the same context as it was celebrated in the west.

Even after coming to the Garrison, that didn't really change. Hell, he wasn't even heading back home for winter break, though he couldn't help but smile fondly at the sound of the cadets who were, excited to spend the holiday with their families.

Maybe he wasn't going home for the holidays, but this Christmas? This Christmas _would_ be something special.

Because Keith _did_ celebrate Christmas.

And this year would mark the first time he would get to celebrate it with someone else, the first time since his father had died. So maybe he wasn't that big on Christmas, but he was, however, big on the idea of giving the kid that had wormed his way into his heart the best one he could manage.

He had actually wanted to get a big tree- but once he saw the price tags on those things, he'd very quickly changed his mind. A small one would be easier to transport anyways, and he didn't think Keith would mind all that much.

The present was what mattered most anyways. He didn't know what his mother had made of his request, but she'd fulfilled her end of it.

Which left just one obstacle- Keith himself.

It wouldn't be a surprise if he just barged in with the stuff, would it? No, if he was going to do this, he was going to do it right.

Or what he _thought_ was right. Again, Christmas, not a big thing for him.

By now, he'd pretty much got the hang of Keith's schedule, as it were. Showing up while he was out hunting had proved easier than he had thought, giving him plenty of time to set everything up.

The look on Keith's face when he walked through the door... priceless. It'd have been worth every penny, even if he'd bought the big tree.

"I know it's not for another few days, kiddo, but Merry Christmas." Shiro told him. "You want to help me decorate this tree?"

Keith's eyes lit up, the frantic nod of his head his only response. He'd only bought a four pack of colorful bulbs, and a string of golden beads, and a little star topper, but it was more than enough for Keith.

For a long time he simply sat in front of the small tree, hugging his knees, resting his head on them. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "Dad used to drag a big tree in from town."

"Yeah?" Shiro asked, taking a seat next to him. "You help him decorate?"

Keith nodded his head, puffing out his chest. "I was in charge of the lights."

"Big job." Shiro said, mentally making a note of that. If there were lights, they might still be around here somewhere. "You know, I've got a present for you."

Keith jerked his head up at that, golden eyes wide- before he squinted. "It's not Christmas yet. Can't open it."

"I think Santa Claus will excuse it just this once." Shiro told him.

Keith didn't roll his eyes often- it kind of didn't work, what with the whole no pupil thing he had going on- but when he did, somehow it always managed to sting. "I'm not a _baby_ , Shiro. I know Santa Claus isn't real."

Letting out a faint snort, Shiro rose to his feet. "Didn't say you were, kiddo. Sit tight, I'll go get it."

Thank god for gift wrapping services, he thought to himself. He had many talents, but wrapping gifts was _not_ one of them.

The size of the box alone made Keith's eyes shine, the child springing to his feet, mouth forming an O. He might have protested a birthday present, but Christmas presents were apparently a different thing entirely, for he accepted it with no small amount of eagerness.

"Can I really open it now?" Keith asked.

"Have at it, kiddo." Shiro told him with a smile.

He almost felt a pang of sympathy for the gift wrapping lady at the mall, watching how quickly Keith shredded her hard work. He made equally quick work of opening the box, his frantic pace coming to a halt only once he had gotten it open.

Huh. He hadn't even seen his own face when he'd gotten it, but something told him that Keith's expression now mirrored that of his own in the past.

"It's one I had as a kid, so it's an older model, but it still works pretty well." Shiro told him. "I haven't touched it in ages, so I thought you'd like it."

"Is it really okay?" Keith whispered. "To give me something this important?"

"It was pretty much just gathering dust at home, so I'm sure." Shiro told him. "I think it would rather be in the hands of someone who'd put it to good use."

Slowly reaching into the box, Keith carefully pried out it's contents. Clutching the telescope to his body, the half alien let out a low rumble, one that he was damn near certain was, in fact, purring.

And then he squinted at Shiro, suspicion laced in his gaze.

"No take backs."

There was nothing dignified in the snort he let out.

* * *

New Year's had been sneaking out of the Garrison, bundling himself in blankets against the cold desert night, and sparklers that danced in vivid colors against the desert sands. He had looked at the stars with Keith, who had tried and failed to stay awake, dozing off some thirty minutes before midnight.

His birthday- or the day before, when he chose to celebrate it in lieu of the actual date- was Keith shoving one of his father's old books at him, telling him to take it. It had been Keith's attempt at making fried eggs, burnt, and with pieces of the shell stuck in them, and him eating every bite anyways.

And spring... spring brought graduation with it.

And graduation brought change. Change that he needed to talk to Keith about.

"You know," he began, "-I'm going to be graduating soon."

Keith perked up at that, setting down the book he had been all but devouring. He loved to read as it turned out, and by now had pretty much decimated half the titles from the local library's children's section. "You'll be a pilot?"

"That's right." Shiro told him, a faint smile on his face. "I've already got a job with the Garrison all lined up."

Realization struck his features then- and Shiro remembered that Keith's father had been a pilot just the same, when he was alive. "You'll be going away."

The words were said with that faint whisper, the one he always fell into when he was talking about something he didn't like. It pained him to hear it.

"From time to time." Shiro told him. "But I promise I'll come back."

"And on a positive side," Shiro added, giving him a faint grin, "-no more classes. You might end up seeing me a little more often, if anything."

Now that _did_ cause Keith some excitement, and Shiro was glad to see it. "You mean it?"

"Well I can't say for sure until everything's settled, but I'll certainly _try_." Shiro told him.

Keith seemed to think about it for a moment, before he nodded his head. "Okay. As long as you promise to tell me all about space."

"I promise." Shiro told him. "You can grill me to your heart's content."

"And you gotta tell me what it's like to fly for real." Keith told him. "Okay?"

"I will tell all." Shiro promised. "You really like space, huh?"

"I'm an _alien_ , Shiro." Keith told him, crinkling his nose. "Of course I like space."

"Technically since you were born on Earth, you're _not_ an alien." Shiro pointed out.

Keith blinked at that, before squinting at him. "But I'm _purple_."

Letting out a faint laugh, Shiro ruffled his hair. "Well I'll keep my eye out for any purple aliens while I'm out there."

He'd expected... he didn't know what, exactly. Maybe excitement- there must have been _some_ part of Keith that wanted to connect with his mother's people.

He _didn't_ expect Keith to bolt to his feet, golden eyes wide in what took him a moment to recognize as fear, outright _horror_. "No, you can't, you-!"

Cutting himself short, Keith drew back in on himself in a way he hadn't for months now- hands balling into fists, his gaze falling down to his feet. It looked like he was trying to shrink into himself, make himself smaller than he already was.

Getting up off the couch, Shiro knelt in front of him, feeling a pang as Keith flinched when he drew near. He had never seen him react this way, save for the first time they had met- when he'd recoiled from Shiro as it dawned on him that he had brought a stranger into his home, going against everything his father had warned him about.

But this was... this was different. This was coming from a different place.

"Keith?" Shiro spoke, his voice gentle. "Did I say something wrong?"

For a long moment, Keith deigned to meet his eyes, his gaze instead rooted to the floor. It was enough to make Shiro want to reach out, to wrap the small child in a tight embrace, but he got the feeling if he tried that now, Keith might just make himself scarce.

Finally, Keith spoke, though he still didn't look up. "You can't."

"Can't what?" Shiro asked.

"Dad said..." Keith began, before stopping short again, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. "They're bad."

It took him a moment to register what he meant, before it finally clicked. He was talking about his mother's people, about the alien part of his heritage. The one he knew next to nothing about and could only begin to guess at.

"They're bad?" Shiro repeated, keeping his tone soft, gentle. He didn't want to spook Keith, not when he looked more vulnerable than he had ever seen him.

Slowly, Keith nodded his head, dragging his gaze up to meet his. It was hard to tell, but he was sure that his eyes were fixed with his own. "Dad said... dad said mom's not bad, and her friends aren't bad, but there's a lot... a lot that _are_ bad."

Thoughts flashing back to what little Keith had told him about his mother, it occurred to him that he'd never once mentioned what she was fighting _against_.

He wondered, briefly, just how much Keith knew.

It didn't matter anyways. He wasn't going to press him, that was something he had decided long ago. If Keith was keeping things from him, then he would simply wait until he trusted him enough to tell him everything.

"Okay." Shiro told him. "I won't look for them."

Keith seemed to let out a breath of relief at that, his shoulders slumping. Just how bad were his mother's people to cause him to react so badly?

"Promise?" Keith asked.

"Promise." Shiro echoed. "Now c'mere. Why don't I whip us up something to eat?"

Any lingering tension in Keith's small body was released at those words- and it occurred to him that he had held on to it out of fear as to how he would take him after being told that. Fear that he would be rejected, because his mother's people were bad.

It didn't matter. Keith was Keith, and whatever else he was, he was human, of Earth. The part of him that wasn't human... well, if his mother, who had passed it on to him, wasn't bad, why then would _Keith_ be bad?

Even if she was, he was pretty sure genetics didn't work like that anyways.

What his mother had passed on to him had enabled him to _survive_ , when other children wouldn't have. In Shiro's book, that could only be a good thing.

* * *

When he came back from space the first time, they stayed together for hours, talking about nothing other than space. All he had done was orbit the Earth, but Keith was fascinated by every detail, clinging to every tidbit, wanting to know _more_.

It was something he had noticed very early on with Keith- that he had a deep desire to learn. He had never been to school- he had lost his human appearance before even kindergarten, but he didn't doubt that given the chance, he would excel.

He had taken it upon himself to teach him, and it became clear to him that his father had likely tried to do the same. In the four years since his death, his skills had gotten rusty, but he was no less eager to learn, absorbing new concepts with marked enthusiasm.

But space? Keith loved learning about space, more than anything else.

In spite of the concerns he had voiced about her people, his mother was out there somewhere- and he didn't doubt that Keith, at least, wanted to meet her.

When it hit him, it hit him like a pile of bricks.

In hindsight, he should have noticed earlier. Whenever he spoke of his father being a pilot, it was with a sense of rapt awe- the same awe that he now turned on him, now that he was one himself.

Keith wanted to be a pilot.

A child's dream should not cause him this much pain, but in this case, it did. Because short of his mother coming back for him, he couldn't think of a single way to give Keith that dream.

It wasn't like he could just bring him to the Garrison and hope for the best. That they would accept him as a cadet, and not treat him as some kind of test subject.

For the first time, he was struck by how _unfair_ the whole situation was.

Keith shouldn't be living like this, all alone here, out in the desert. He should be in school, making friends his own age, living out in the open, not hidden away. He knew that, _had_ known that ever since he had first met him, before he had started to think of him as a brother.

Because he knew in the same instant that he realized his dream, that Keith already knew full well it was impossible.

Keith, who looked up to his father, who had lived off of his stories, had done just what any other child would have done- dreamed of becoming like his father one day. But Keith _wasn't_ just any other child.

He couldn't.

His father must have known.

How had he dealt with it? To know that his son had a dream he couldn't grant him, that his own flesh and blood would likely have to live out the rest of his days hidden away in a desert shack because the rest of the world was unlikely to accept him?

He didn't have the answer to that.

But he _did_ have all of his old textbooks from the Garrison, his old flight manuals. It wouldn't be the same, but maybe when he was a little older, he could pass them down to Keith.

Because impossible or not, there was still some small part of them that found himself wanting to _encourage_ Keith's dream.

Who knew what the future would bring?

Good things, he hoped, listening fondly to Keith chatter about an old story his father had told him, half remembered- good things.


	3. twelve

What better story to update on Father's Day than this one? Shiro continues to learn the ins and outs of the care and keeping of his purple son, complete with the threat of puberty and teenage years looming over his head, just like any real dad. It's right around the corner, Shiro! Better get ready!

* * *

 **desert born**

 **twelve**

* * *

He should have remembered.

It was easy to forget, with the ease with which Keith hunted, the ease with which he took down his prey. But he shouldn't have forgotten.

The desert was full of dangers.

Keith was twelve when he was reminded of that fact.

He knew something was wrong when he arrived at the shack to find the door ajar. Keith _never_ left the front door open- he was too wary for that. His heart pounding in his chest, Shiro pushed the door all the way open, scanning the shack.

"Keith?" He called out. "Keith, buddy, are you there?"

The sound of a loud grunt caught his ears, stopping his blood cold. It sounded like one of pain, and before he knew it, he dropped the pack he'd brought with him, dashing towards the source of it.

And nearly felt his heart stop.

"Keith!"

He was on him in an instant, crouched down beside him. He didn't know if Keith even noticed him, because he didn't react, too busy writhing in pain to do anything else. Claws dug into the wood floor of the shack, leaving marks on the floor.

There were so many of them.

"Keith!" Shiro called out his name again, touching his shoulder. He felt hot to the touch, enough to make him draw his hand away, but the agonized cry that the child let out in the next second had him putting it back. "Keith, stay with me, buddy."

He cracked one eye open, and Shiro had to force himself to stay calm. The vivid shade of yellow was now so dim, _dull_ \- but more than that, was the _pain_ that was visible in those eyes. "...shiro?"

"Yeah kiddo, it's me." Shiro told him. "I'm here."

A look of relief touched Keith's features then, but it was drawn back in the next instant by another surge of pain, causing him to let out a cry. He wasn't breathing right, Shiro realized.

"Keith," he said his name again, this time almost like a prayer, "Keith buddy, I need you to tell me what happened."

Letting out a grunt, Keith moved his arm, the simple action seeming as if it were a great amount of labor. Gradually, Shiro realized that he was pointing at something- and that's when his heart truly stopped.

Spread by his knife, there it lay- a rattlesnake.

Without any further hesitation, Shiro yanked up the fabric of Keith's pants, sucking in his breath at the sight of the bite. His ankle had already swollen, and he had very little doubt that the creature's poison was now working it's way through Keith's system.

"How long?" Shiro choked out. "How long has it been since it bit you?"

Keith could only shake his head, letting out another gasp of breath. Shiro desperately tried to recall everything he knew about rattlesnakes, but in that moment, found himself drawing a complete blank.

The only thing he knew was that he couldn't leave Keith here like this.

On his feet in an instant, Shiro grabbed the sack Keith used for hunting, approaching the rattlesnake with caution. Once he confirmed it was very dead, he shoved it in the sack, tying it up. Slinging it over his shoulder, he stooped down, scooping up Keith in his arms.

He was covered in sweat, his skin clammy. Eyes fluttering open, Keith leaned into his chest, letting out another muffled cry of pain.

"I'm gonna get you help, buddy. Stay with me." Shiro promised him, even as he desperately racked his brain, trying to think where he could even _bring_ Keith. If he made the wrong choice now, it might just do him more harm than good.

A hospital was out.

There was a research center for venomous snakes in town that had anti venom, but even if he broke in there, he wouldn't know what to take.

The Garrison was the closest, and it had anti venom too, but...

 _"You knew him?"_

 _"Oh sure. He used to bring Keith to work all the time."_

Swallowing, Shiro pulled Keith closer to him. As part of the biological sciences division, Professor Holt had access to the anti-venom, and his office was on the far end of campus. There was a crack in the wall cadets used to sneak out all the time near it, and few cameras, so if he took him there...

If he made the wrong call here, even if he managed to save Keith's life, he still might be putting him in danger.

But he had to try.

Grateful that Keith was wearing one of the hoodies he had bought him, red and white, his favorite colors, Shiro tugged the hood of it as low as it could go on his head. Making his way out of the shack, he settled down on the hoverbike, using one hand to grip the controls.

This was dangerous, but he didn't trust Keith to be able to hold onto him.

"...shiro." Keith's voice cracked, turning his head, pained eyes looking up towards him. "...can't leave."

"I know buddy, I know." Shiro told him. "But we don't have a choice."

Keith let out a low whine, trying without any strength to push away from him. In response, he merely drew him closer.

"Please, Keith." Shiro begged. "We need to get you help. Do you- do you remember a Sam Holt? Gray hair, round glasses?"

Staring up at him, Keith let out another low whine. God, maybe he was in too much pain to even use words, the thought settling like a cold stone in his gut.

"He was a friend of your father's." Keith told him. "We can trust him."

God, he hoped they could trust him.

Powering up the hoverbike, Shiro didn't give Keith any more chances to protest. Holding him as close as he could with one arm, he used his free arm to navigate the hoverbike through the desert, his heart pounding loudly in his ears all the while. He tried to steady it, knowing that Keith could hear it, and the last thing he wanted was to clue him in on how much he was panicking.

Which he was, badly.

How had he let himself forget?

The desert was dangerous, no place for a child. Even _if_ that child could bring down coyotes, even if that child had been raised in the desert, knowing its dangers better than most.

If he hadn't gotten there when he had... no, he wasn't even going to think about that.

Pressing Keith close to his chest, he drew as close to the Garrison on hoverbike as he dared. Jumping off of it into a run, he clutched Keith to him, noticing that at some point, he had gone far too still.

Making it past the wall that surrounded the campus, Shiro paused for only a second to catch his breath, to determine his surroundings. Mapping out the way to Professor Holt's office, he wasted no time in getting there, praying that he was in- and alone.

He was. Thank god, he was.

"Shiro!" Clearly startled at the way he had all but burst into his office, no doubt looking as frantic as he felt, Sam's brows drew together. "What's going on?"

" _Please_." He choked out. "Please, he needs help."

His voice must have been as desperate as he thought, for Sam wasted no time in coming to his side. He could almost pinpoint the exact moment when he realized that the child he was clutching to his chest was _purple_ , but he also saw the exact moment in which he noticed the snake bite.

"Do you know what bit him?" Sam asked, his voice grave. "I can get the anti-venom, but I'll need to know what type of snake it was."

Oh thank god.

"Yeah, I- here." Shiro gasped, finding himself short of breath. Sam must have caught his eyes, for he went for the sack slung around his shoulder.

"Alright, you just stay here, Shiro." Sam told him. "Lay the boy out on my desk, knock everything off it if you have to. I can clean it up later."

Dimly nodding his head, Shiro staggered over towards the desk, half in a daze. Shoving everything off it, he carefully laid Keith down on the desk, the boy letting out a groan as he did so.

"It's gonna be okay, Keith." Shiro promised him, taking his hand. "You're gonna be okay."

Every second that Sam was gone felt as if it were a lifetime, but finally, the professor returned, vial of anti-venom in hand. He wasted nearly no time in giving the injection, and only once it was done, did Shiro feel his shoulders sag in relief.

"He'll... he'll be okay, right?" Shiro asked him, not yet willing to let go of Keith's hand, the boy's grip so lax in his own.

"I won't lie to you Shiro, only time will tell." Sam told him. "But this will give him a fighting chance."

Swallowing, Shiro nodded his head. Staring down at Keith, black hair framing his face like a halo, he could only hope that he had a little more fight to give.

Sam glanced up towards him, looking as if he wanted to ask him something, but seemed to change his mind. Instead he moved to checking Keith's vitals, pushing back his hood in order to do so.

It was faint, but he thought he made out a flash of recognition in his eyes as he did so. He said nothing though, instead throwing himself into the task.

It was only when Keith's breathing grew steady, that Shiro felt himself finally relax.

"Looks like he'll make it." Sam told him, reaching across the desk to pat him on the shoulder. "You did good, son."

Dimly nodding his head, Shiro felt himself sink to his feet, still holding Keith's hand. Pressing his head against the desk, he felt hot tears sting the corner of his eyes, not of sorrow, but of _relief_.

Thank god.

It was only once they had left him, that Shiro finally looked up, only now realizing how dry his throat was. Drawing in a long breath, he stood up, slowly letting go of Keith's hand. He mumbled a little in his sleep, but otherwise went undisturbed.

"Please," he knew he was begging, but right now, he didn't care, "-Professor Holt, you can't tell anyone about this."

Sam's gaze flickered towards him, assessing. Reaching out a hand, he lightly brushed aside Keith's bangs, expression thoughtful. "...this is the Kogane boy, isn't it?"

He'd been expecting the question ever since he saw the flash of recognition in Sam's eyes. Slowly nodding his head, Shiro watched him with caution.

"His father?" Sam questioned- and when Shiro shook his head, the man's face fell. "I see."

What was it like, Shiro found himself wondering- to have a child you thought dead brought to your doorstep, looking considerably less human than when you'd seen him last? Watching as Sam reached out a hand, fingers lightly stroking Keith's chin, he didn't miss the way his brows raised at the texture of his skin.

"So I take it you haven't been exploring caves, then." Sam noted.

"No." Shiro confessed. "When I fell in the desert, Keith was the one who saved me. I've been looking after him ever since."

Nodding his head, Sam drew his hand away from Keith, rifling around underneath his desk and producing a blanket. Draping it over him, he scooped him up with some effort, carefully laying him down on the floor. No sooner than he had, did Keith shift in his sleep, clutching at the blanket and seeming to ball up.

"I should- we should bring him back to the shack." Shiro said. "If he wakes up here, he might panic."

"Don't tell me you brought him all the way here on hoverbike." Sam said, gaze flickering over towards him- and he couldn't help but wince. When he did, all the man did was let out a long sigh. "We can use my car."

Nodding his head, Shiro carefully bundled Keith up, blanket and all, once more tucking his hood down low over his head.

Watching as Sam collected his keys, Shiro couldn't help but frown. "You understand this needs to be kept a secret, right? If the wrong people found out about Keith..."

"I won't breathe a word of it." Sam promised. "On the condition that you keep me involved. _And_ I want a full explanation."

"I think that first part is more up to Keith." Shiro told him. "But I'll explain on the way."

"Good." Sam said, tugging on his hat. "Start by telling me exactly where it is that I'm going."

* * *

"He's all tucked in."

Sam stirred at his words, before fixing his gaze once more on the horizon. All throughout the drive to the shack, Shiro had explained the story to him- or what he knew of it, at least. For his part, the man had listened in contemplative silence.

Keith must have been exhausted, because he barely stirred when he got him out of the car, carrying him to bed. He had stopped only to put his mother's knife away, before he left the shack, joining Sam on the porch.

"All this time," Sam began, shaking his head, "-all this time, he was alive."

Taking a seat next to him, Shiro rested his hands on his knees. "Yeah."

"And he's been out here all this time?" Sam asked. "By himself?"

"Not the whole time." Shiro told him. "He's had me, for the past three years."

"But four years, alone." Shaking his head, Sam let out a sigh. "I can't believe it."

"He's a tough kid." Shiro told him. "But it shouldn't have to be this way."

"No." Sam said frankly. "It really shouldn't."

Leaning back, the older man frowned. "If only his father had just _told_ me something, I could have helped."

"I don't think he knew who to trust." Shiro told him. "All he was thinking about was keeping Keith safe."

"Can't say I blame him." Sam frowned, shaking his head. "To think I've been searching for alien life for so long, and I'd already met it without even needing to leave Earth."

"Well," Shiro began, lips twitching in a smile, "-Keith was born _on_ Earth. I'm not sure if he really qualifies as an _alien_ , purple aside."

"Fair point." Sam admitted. "You've been doing good by him."

"Not good enough." Shiro frowned. "I can't give him what he really deserves."

A normal life, but that went without saying.

Reaching out to pat his shoulder, Sam gave him a smile. "You're a good kid, Shiro, but even you can't move mountains."

"I wish I could." Shiro told him ruefully. " _Keith's_ a good kid, he deserves so much _more_ than this. Today only proved that."

"You do what you can." Sam reassured him. "You're there for him. You might have saved his life today."

"I know, but it shouldn't _be_ that way." Shiro said, spreading out his hands. "Keith should be- he should be going to school, hanging out with kids his own age, not living in some shack in the middle of the desert, all by himself."

"Well if it's friends you want, I've got two kids myself." Sam told him. "Katie's still a little young, but Matt's close enough in age to Keith."

"Thanks, but I don't know if I can convince _Keith_ of that." Shiro said, letting out a faint, humorless laugh. "He's... Keith's _terrified_ of the outside world, of other people. After today, he might not ever trust me again."

"You did what you had to." Sam reassured him. "You made the right choice."

Hanging his head, Shiro closed his eyes. "I sure hope so."

* * *

When Keith woke, he was by his side.

"Hey there, buddy." He said, his voice soft. "How you feeling?"

Blinking his eyes open, Keith turned his head. Their color wasn't quite yet back to their usual vivid yellow, but they were closer to it than they had been before. "...Shiro?"

"Un-huh." Shiro told him, reaching out a hand, gently stroking his hair. "You gave me a real scare there, kiddo."

Closing his eyes, Keith leaned into his hand, a low rumble escaping from his chest. He still looked weak, but he'd been expecting that. His fever was down, and he was no longer sweating, his breathing having returned to normal.

Sam had cleaned and wrapped the snake bite, and given him a salve to prevent infection. It stunk, and he could only imagine that Keith wouldn't be fond of it, so convincing him to use it was likely to be an issue.

"Keith?" He hated to shatter the peaceful moment, but he knew the sooner they talked, the better. "Do you remember what happened?"

Opening his eyes, Keith turned his head, frowning at the question. He drew his brows together in thought, trying to recall. He had barely been conscious during his time at Sam's office, so he didn't blame him if his memories of it were a little fuzzy.

He took note of the way Keith's nose twitched, before he jolted upright with such a speed that had him reeling. Placing a hand on his back to support him, he watched as Keith's eyes went wide with panic, picking up on an unidentified scent.

"It's okay, Keith." Shiro reassured him, lightly rubbing his back. "There's someone that I want you to meet. He's a friend of your father's."

Keith looked stricken, the betrayal in his gaze stinging. It wasn't like the time he had washed his hair, working out all the mats- this ran deeper than that. He had brought an outsider to the shack, to his _home_ \- someone that Keith didn't know- and though the boy's trust in him ran deep, that stung.

"You promised you wouldn't-" Keith began, his voice barely a whisper. "You- you said you wouldn't tell."

"I know, buddy, and I'm sorry." Shiro told him. "But I didn't have a choice. You were in danger, and I didn't know how to help you all by myself."

Keith clamped his mouth shut, looking away. His fingers dug into the blanket, before he realized with a snap that it wasn't his- and in a panic, he tossed it away from him, scooting to the very edge of the couch as if it had bit him.

"Keith, I know you're scared." Shiro continued, keeping his voice soft, _gentle,_ all the while. "But I promise you, I would never bring you to someone who would want to hurt you."

Keith swallowed, finally looking at him again. "Is- is he here?"

"He's still here." Shiro told him. "Do you want to talk to him? I can always send him away if you're not ready."

Hesitating, Keith chewed on his lip, drawing his knees up to his chest. He swore that if he had more expressive ears, they would be pinned flat against his head. "...only if you stay."

Shiro smiled at that, lightly ruffling his hair. "I won't leave you Keith, I promise."

Peering up at him, Keith slowly nodded his head, reaching out a hand to grab at his sleeve, as if to root him in place. He let him, instead turning his head and calling out for the professor, telling him that Keith was awake.

As the man entered the shack, Keith tried to shrink back behind him, doing everything in his power to make himself look small. He'd known Keith was afraid of strangers, but he hadn't realized just how _bad_ it was right until this moment, and the surge of guilt that shot through him was overwhelming.

"Keith," Shiro spoke, keeping his voice steady, "-this is Professor Sam Holt. He teaches biology courses at the Galaxy Garrison."

"I used to know your father." Sam told him, his expression soft- he didn't miss the way that he made sure Keith could see his hands, resting them at his sides. "I don't know if you remember me or not, seeing as you were pretty little back then, but I've met you before too, Keith."

Shaking his head, Keith didn't release his vice grip on Shiro's sleeve just yet- if anything, it only grew tighter. "Don't remember."

"How are you feeling?" Sam asked. "You got a pretty nasty bite there."

Tucking the leg that had been bitten up closer to him, Keith frowned. "Better."

"That's good to hear." Sam told him. "You know, I have a son just a year older than you."

Keith seemed to perk up at that, if only a little. "Yeah?"

"Sure do." Sam nodded. "His name's Matt. I've got a little girl too, name's Katie. She turned eight this year."

"...I'm twelve." Keith supplied after a moment. His grip on Shiro's sleeve grew more lax, but he didn't release it quite yet. "You knew my dad?"

"Sure did." Sam said with a smile. "I'd just started working at the Garrison when your dad was a cadet there."

That really seemed to catch Keith's attention, because his grip on Shiro's sleeve slipped away completely. "You knew my dad when he was _young_?"

"Not as well as I knew him when he started working for the Garrison, but I saw him around campus a few times." Sam told him. "He was always so proud of you, you know. Day after you were born, he came into work gloating about it, saying you were the most wonderful baby anyone ever did see."

Shiro let out a faint laugh at that, watching as Keith turned a darker shade of purple. Just old enough to start being embarrassed by his father, even if the man himself wasn't around anymore.

God, in another year, he'd be _thirteen_ \- he almost couldn't fathom it. Keith? Going through puberty? Hitting his growth spurt?

It wasn't like he thought Keith would be a child forever, but... what if there was some weird alien aspect to his puberty? What if he didn't even _hit_ puberty for another few years?

The prospect of _teenage Keith_ was blowing his mind.

He must have zoned out, because Keith's hand returned to his sleeve, giving it a sharp tug. Glancing up, he met his eyes, not missing the way his lips were curled in a tight frown. "Spacing out counts as leaving, Shiro."

Unable to help himself, Shiro let out a bark of laughter. "Yeah, guess it does. Sorry about that, Keith."

Keith's frown lingered for a moment longer, before it gave way to a faint smile. Withdrawing his hand, he ducked his head. "I'll forgive you."

Giving him a faint smile, he sensed that it was for more than just spacing out. "Glad to hear it, buddy."

* * *

Sam Holt became a semi-regular visitor to the shack after that.

It was reassuring to know that there would be someone around to check on Keith when he couldn't be there. His trust in the man had paid off, probably better than he could have ever imagined.

The number of people in Keith's life went up to two.

He wished it could be brought up to four, but as curious as he was about the Holt children, Keith is adamant that he didn't want to meet them. He's scared, Shiro sensed- normally he would think it ridiculous to be scared of _children_ , but he knows now just how deep Keith's fear of the outside world runs.

But he _is_ curious, and one day, that curiosity might overrule the fear.

It's good to have someone else in his life, but they're both adults- Shiro will be twenty next year, a proper adult in every sense of the word. Keith needs friends his own age- or close enough to it, and that's exactly what the Holt kids could be, if he let them.

He can't see any reason why they wouldn't get along. He's only met Matt once, and Katie never, but he's heard plenty about them from Professor Holt. They both love space, more than enough to form a mutual bond between children.

Having Sam around really does prove to be a godsend, though. His salary as a pilot isn't too shabby, but Sam still makes a lot more than him- and he's willing to spare some of his paycheck on Keith. The first ticket on the agenda is _shoes_ \- something which he had put off buying for Keith, due to multiple complications.

His feet weren't entirely structured like human feet, his toes equal in size and shape. There's also the _claws_ to be accounted for, so finding children's shoes in his size quickly proved itself to be a nightmare. When it became apparent to him that Keith didn't need them, the skin on his feet too tough for much of anything to breech, he had put the issue aside.

At least, until it turned out that a snake's fangs _were_ tough enough to pierce his skin.

So- shoes. Boots, preferably.

Thankfully, Sam turned out to know a guy in the business of making custom shoes- and though Keith whined about it at first, having gotten accustomed to living life barefoot, he perked up with marked interest the moment designing them himself came into the equation.

They were red and white, because _of course_ they were.

(Keith was nothing if not consistent about his favorite colors.)

When Keith had gotten his new boots, he'd proceeded to stomp around the shack in them- and then proceeded just as quickly to claim that they _felt weird_. He wore them though, and it provided Shiro with some relief- combined with his thick skin, it _should_ prevent any more snake bites.

He hoped.

God how he hoped. He'd never been so scared in his life.

He suspected that Sam also used measuring Keith's feet as a means to examine them. Running his hands over his heels, he took note of the thick pads of his feet, not entirely dissimilar to those of a cat's, if not with far less give.

What Sam _wanted_ was to do a full evaluation of Keith's health, but although Keith had accepted the professor into his life, he didn't trust him _that_ much. He could understand the concern- who knew how different Keith was from human children?

In body, at least. In spirit, he was just like any other.

Perhaps it was because he was a father, but Sam was even more affected by the prospect of leaving Keith alone in the desert. He'd tried to ask him if he wanted to leave once, and it had gone about as well as one would expect.

"You know, we have an extra room at home." Sam had told him.

To which Keith had hissed _no_ , doubtlessly perceiving it as some kind of trap, in spite of the fact that he apparently trusted Sam enough to let him inside when Shiro wasn't around.

Sam was quick to pick up on rule number one of dealing with Keith- never press him with questions. If he wanted to answer, he would, but if he didn't, leave it alone.

He could understand why the man was concerned- not only did Keith's very existence mean that extraterrestrial life was _real_ , it apparently meant that _hostile_ extraterrestrial life was real. It was hard to say if any more of his mother's people had visited Earth or not, but somehow he got the impression that they would know if they'd been here.

He still didn't know what his mother had come to Earth for. Whatever it was, he suspected both Keith and his father knew it, but it was a secret that the former guarded closely.

Keith's trust was like a precious gift, he didn't intend to try and rush it. Maybe he would tell him, one day.

* * *

"I want to meet them."

It came out of the blue, just as all of Keith's other declarations did.

Exchanging a glance with Sam, Shiro frowned. "Meet who?"

Pursing his lips, Keith furrowed his brow, as if he were wondering if he was purposefully being obtuse. Jutting a finger towards Sam, he narrowed his eyes. "His kids."

Blinking, Shiro exchanged another look with Sam, before cracking a smile. "You sure?"

Nodding his head, Keith folded his arms in front of him. "They're just kids, right?"

Half wanting to point out that Keith was _also_ just a kid, Shiro instead kept his mouth shut. "They sure are. Professor Holt?"

"It's fine with me." Sam told him. "But I'll have to run it by their mother."

And that Keith _did_ react to, narrowing his eyes. "You didn't say anything about that!"

"Keith, you understand that he can't just bring his kids out into the middle of the desert without letting their mother know, right?" Shiro asked.

Frowning, Keith peered up at him, his gaze suspicious. He honestly wasn't sure if Keith _did_ know or not. He had grown up with only one parent, so the concept of communication between a pair of him was as alien to him as his own mother was.

"Can you trust her?" Keith asked, fixing his gaze on Sam.

"I should hope so, I married her." Sam said.

Keith's gaze lingered for a moment longer- but eventually, he gave them a curt nod of his head. "Okay. I trust you."

"Well then, in that case, I'll make the arrangements when I get home tonight." Sam told him. "I'm sure Matt and Katie would be thrilled to meet you, Keith."

"Make sure to tell them I'm weird looking." Keith said. "I don't want them looking at me like I'm some kind of freak."

"Keith, you're _not_ a freak." Shiro told him. "And you don't look weird."

"I'm _purple,_ Shiro, not stupid." Keith told him, narrowing his eyes. "I'm out here in the desert cause I'm weird."

Frowning, he wanted to try again to reassure him that he wasn't- but he quickly shut his mouth. Trying to convince him otherwise when he'd already made up his mind wouldn't amount to much- he could be _awfully_ stubborn, this kid.

"I'll be sure to give them fair warning, Keith." Sam reassured him. "And you don't have to worry about a thing- I know my kids, and I can tell you they won't say a word to anyone."

Giving him a firm nod of his head, Keith wandered back off again. He had to figure out how to fix that bad habit of him leaving when he thought the conversation was done.

"It's not too much trouble, is it?" Shiro asked, once he was sure Keith was out of earshot. He knew his hearing was twice as good as a human's, but he'd gotten pretty good at establishing when he was within range of it.

"Not at all." Sam told him, shaking his head. "This'll be good for Keith. Katie, too. I'm afraid she's not being doing so well making friends at school."

"She's nine now, right?" Shiro asked- he knew her birthday was sometime in April, which had just passed.

"Yep." Sam said, nodding his head. "One year away from the big double digits. They grow up so fast."

Smiling, Shiro turned his gaze back towards Keith. Sam was right- this would be good for him. He was so focused on survival out here, that he didn't have many chances to just be a kid- and come October, he'd turn thirteen.

He needed to enjoy his childhood while it lasted.

* * *

As Sam's car drew up to the shack, Keith lingered behind him. He hadn't seen him this wary since that evening in the shack, when he'd first been introduced to Sam.

 _Wary_ , Shiro noted- but not _scared_.

He took it as a positive. Keith had chosen this for himself, to accept two new people into his life- and he could only hope that it went well.

"...what if they don't like me?" Keith whispered, his voice barely audible. "...what if I'm too weird?"

It pained him, how conscious Keith was of what made him different. He could only hope that making some friends would teach him what he'd known all along- that what was different about him paled in comparison to what wasn't.

"You'll be fine, Keith." Shiro reassured him, reaching behind him to ruffle his hair. "Matt and Katie are good kids. They'll love you, I promise."

He looked like he wanted to believe him, but still wasn't quite convinced. Heaving a sigh, Shiro merely turned his focus on the car, watching as Sam got out, Matt bounding out from the passenger seat.

It was the first time he'd seen Matt since he'd first met him two years ago, and it couldn't be more obvious that the poor kid was currently smack dab in the middle of puberty. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him- he'd been a mess of awkward limbs himself at that age.

Katie, he thought, was even smaller than he had anticipated.

"You know it's going to be hard to talk to them if you're hiding behind me." Shiro noted, sparing a glance back down towards Keith.

"I'm not _hiding_." Keith protested, even though he very clearly was. "You're just too tall."

He tried not to laugh at that, he really did- but Keith's scowl was indication enough that he'd failed. At least he didn't seem so tense anymore, so Shiro considered that a victory.

"Whoa." Matt's voice piped up, and inwardly, Shiro winced. Poor kid's voice was cracking. "You _are_ purple."

Flinching, Keith ducked behind him, in spite of his earlier claims that he wasn't hiding. Peeking out from behind Shiro, his lips twisted in a frown, squinting at the pair of siblings, each of whom were staring at him with open mouths.

What he _didn't_ expect was for Katie to come up around the other side, invading his personal space without hesitation, letting out a bright and _very loud_ hello. Flinching, Keith jumped back, realizing a second too late that he had left the cover that he'd given him, and was now very much fully exposed.

There was silence of the span of a moment- a very _long_ moment- and then- "That's so cool!"

Keith blinked. Then blinked again, slowly pointing towards himself. "...me?"

"Yeah!" Matt insisted, taking a step forward. "You're Keith, right? Dad told us all about you on the way over!"

"I'm Katie!" The small girl chirped, once more finding her way into Keith's personal space- that was clearly a conversation that needed to be had with her, Shiro thought, but he'd let her father do that. "That's Matt!"

"...Keith." Keith muttered, gaze fixed on the floor, his face taking on a darker shade of purple. "I'm... do you really think I'm _cool_?"

"Oh totally!" Matt said, beaming from ear to ear. "Holts don't lie!"

The smile that dawned across Keith's face... it was the best thing he'd seen all day.

"Do you-" Keith began, before hesitating, chewing on his lip, and Shiro found himself silently rooting for the kid he'd grown so fond of, "-do you wanna see my telescope?"

"You have a telescope?" Katie asked.

"Yeah." Nodding his head, Keith's gaze flickered behind him, though neither of the Holt siblings seemed to register this. He couldn't blame him, it had taken ages for Shiro to figure out just where Keith was looking half the time. "Out back."

"We've got one at home too!" Katie told him. "How far can yours see? Ours can see to Mars!"

Keith's eyes went wide at that, a sparkle vivid in the yellow color. Any worries he might have had slipped away with it. "It can really do that? Mine can only see to the moon!"

"Dad built it!" Matt told him. "If you get the angle _just_ right, you can see the research colony they're building there."

"You can see the lunar colony with mine!" Keith told him.

"The old one or the new one?" Matt asked.

"The old one, I think." Keith told him.

"The old one is _way_ cooler than the new one." Katie supplied. "The design of the new one _sucks_."

Hanging back, Shiro was pretty sure all three of them had forgotten there were any adults present. Giving them a fond smile, he listened as Keith animatedly talked about the lunar colony, his eyes sparkling as if they were filled with the very stars his mother had come from.

It was good, he thought, seeing him like this.

So very good.


	4. thirteen

Back at it again, with chapter four! He's here, preteen Keith... watch out. This series is so damn indulgent, nearly 100% fluff with a nice dash of angst on top just to round everything out. Keith's a good boy, out here winning hearts left and right... I'm so proud of him.

* * *

 **desert born**

 **thirteen**

* * *

Katie and Matt turned out to be just the ticket.

Their first meeting had ended well- Shiro had stuck around for a little longer after they had left, and he could have sworn that Keith had practically been glowing.

(Metaphorically. His eyes could glow, the rest of him, not so much.)

He would ask, often, when they would be coming back- and it wasn't long before Sam turned that into a reality. Their second meeting had gone over just as well as the first, and it wasn't long before a third meeting was arranged.

By that time?

Shiro was pretty sure the three had become fast friends.

Their fourth meeting brought something new to the shack- an old television that Sam had just about been to throw out. It still worked, just not in color. Out here, it could only pick up two or three channels, but Keith was enraptured by the device nonetheless.

But as always, he remained a child of the outdoors, which Katie very quickly proved _not_ to be. Matt was more willing, and there seemed to be no shortage of information that Keith knew about the desert. Half of it was passed down to him by his father, and half he had just learned for himself.

But mostly, they talked about space.

Keith talked to them about everything he knew from his father, as well as the stories he'd told him himself. Matt and Katie were eager to chatter away about their father's work, Keith listening in rapt attention the entire time.

If they ever got creeped out by Keith's unblinking gaze during such times, he never noticed. By and large, they simply thought that Keith being half-alien was _cool_. And for Keith, that was just the kind of confidence boost that he needed. It wasn't a cure all, but it helped.

Even to his friends, he wouldn't talk much about his mother, or her people. Some things he let slip- that his dad had once said his mother had purple eyes. He couldn't decide if that meant her sclera had been purple, much as Keith's were yellow, or if she'd had pupils.

He showed them his knife, though, and they had both been very impressed. He didn't let Katie touch it, on account of _she's a baby and might hurt herself_ (his words, spoken later), but he did let Matt hold it, even showing him a few basic thrusts.

It was clear to anyone that Keith was happier than he'd ever been since his father died.

With Sam around, Shiro unraveled one more mystery- the source of the shack's mysterious power. He'd stumbled upon it by pure accident, while searching for some tools. It was a generator of some kind- but it's construction was of a kind that he'd never seen before. Though he took some readings, he was unable to determine just what was powering it.

When they asked Keith about it, he told them that it was something his mom had left behind. His dad had told him that it was powered by _quintessence_ , but that he didn't know what that was. Just that it had been running, non-stop, ever since his mother had left.

Sam took a few more readings, but for the large part, they left the device be. They didn't know what it was capable of, and beyond that, they didn't want to risk the shack losing power.

It wasn't nearly so important as the upcoming event- Keith's thirteenth birthday.

Sam Holt, as it turned out, was an enthusiastic celebrator of birthdays, and he had passed this trait on down to his children. So when they heard that Keith's birthday was around the corner, they had leapt at the idea of having a party for their new friend.

It would definitely be a far cry from the more modest affair of Keith's past two- but he made sure to float the idea of including a bit of Halloween into the mix- namely, the candy.

Keith did tend to be a creature of habit.

Katie had her heart set on a surprise party, until he'd pointed out that it wouldn't be much of a surprise when Keith could smell any of them coming from a mile away. She hadn't been happy about it, but she let the idea go.

Besides, he was pretty sure that just having his friends celebrate his birthday with him would be enough of a surprise for Keith as it was already. Watching as Matt and Katie animatedly discussed the details of the party- they had taken the reins at some point- he couldn't help but smile fondly.

On the day of Keith's actual birthday, he had arrived at the shack first. Keith spotted him- he was sitting outside, a basin full of water in front of him, and a handful of clothes in his lap. There was no washer or dryer in the shack, which meant everything had to be hand washed- a skill which Shiro had taught him during his first year of knowing Keith.

He complained about it, like any child would, but he stuck to it.

"Shiro!" Keith called out, lifting a hand, soapy water dripping off of it. "You came!"

"Of course I came." Shiro told him. "It's your birthday."

The statement was so simple, but this would only be his third birthday since his father died that he had been able to celebrate with someone else.

"You need a hand there?" Shiro asked, crouching down by the basin.

"No, I'm almost done." Keith told him. "You can hang them up, though."

"Can do, buddy." Shiro told him, draping the wet clothes over his arms after rolling up his sleeves, carrying them into the shack. Hanging them up in the bathroom, where they wouldn't be exposed to sand, he took a moment to look over the shack.

It was still modest, rundown in places, but at least it looked better than when he had found it. Keith wasn't the best at cleaning, but the older he got, the more he tried.

By now, it had seemed to sink into him that Shiro was a part of his life now, and that he wasn't going anywhere. He couldn't yet tell if he thought the Holts would last or not, but he'd accepted them into his life just the same.

For someone like Keith, that must have taken a lot of courage.

"Everything's all hung up." Shiro told him, peeking his head back out of the shack. "You done?"

Giving him a wordless nod of his head, Keith got to his feet, tipping over the basin and emptying out the excess water with one. Making his way back into the shack, he peered down at the table, before glancing up at Shiro, curious. "No cake?"

"Cake's coming later." Shiro told him.

Blinking, Keith frowned at the comment, taking a moment to let the pieces click. "Is Mr. Holt bringing it?"

"That's not the only thing he's bringing." Shiro told him, unable to keep himself from grinning.

Keith perked right up at that, golden eyes wide. "Matt and Katie are coming?"

"They sure are." Shiro told him. "Said they didn't want to miss your birthday for the world."

Ducking his head, Keith shifted on his feet, in a way that clearly telegraphed his excitement. Glancing down at his sopping wet clothes, he quickly darted for the chest where he kept them, changing out of the shirt and pants he had been using to wash clothes with, and putting on fresh pairs.

Huh. He hadn't taught him that.

Presenting himself to Shiro, Keith grinned. "When are they coming?"

"Half an hour or so." Shiro told him, before blinking.

Was it just him, or had...?

"Did you get taller?"

Keith's grin grew brighter, almost seeming to preen. "You noticed?"

He had, Shiro thought. Before, he had barely just poked up past his waist, and now he was several inches taller than that. It made his pants look a bit on the short side, but they held for now. It would have been hard to tell with his boots on.

"Guess you're hitting your growth spurt." Shiro said, letting out a faint _huh_. "Soon you'll be all limbs, just like Matt."

Scrunching his nose up at that, Keith made a face. "No thanks."

Letting out a chuckle, Shiro shook his head. "Come on, help me clean off a place on the table. There's going to be five of us here, so we'll need more space than usual."

He'd never seen Keith so eager to clean in his life, practically brimming with enthusiasm. All for a simple birthday party with two of his friends.

For a normal kid, that was nothing special- but Keith _wasn't_ a normal kid. For him, it was something new- something he'd never had before, even when his father had been alive. Maybe he couldn't quite give him the normal life he deserved, but at the very least, he could bring him a little closer to it.

Keith heard Sam's car first, freezing in place for a moment, before bolting for the door. If he wasn't used to it by now, the abrupt movement would have startled him, but as it was, he simply watched fondly as Keith threw open the door.

"Matt!" He called out, waving a hand. "Katie!"

He could make out both of the Holt siblings calling Keith's name back, but Katie's voice was the loudest. Getting to his feet, he made it to the door just in time to see her launch herself at Keith, who caught her in open arms, beaming from ear to ear.

Guess he didn't really need to talk to Katie about personal space after all.

Matt trailed behind her, and as much as he had teased him, he was looking a bit less like a mess of arms and legs at this point. His voice had more or less settled, moving on out of that awkward phase of puberty.

Which he probably still had to talk to Keith about. Had his father ever given him the talk? He kind of doubted it, Keith had still been pretty young when he'd passed.

God, he really hoped his alien genetics didn't mess things up too much. Puberty was bad enough when you knew what you were in for, but when you didn't? He wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Sam got out of the car last, laughing as he watched Keith all but drag his kids inside the shack. Going out to meet him, Shiro glanced down at the box in his hands. "Need a hand with that?"

"No, I've got this one just fine." Sam told him. "But there's a bag in the trunk with the candy and the presents, so if you could grab that, that'd be a big help."

"Sure." Smiling at him, Shiro cracked open the trunk of the car, grabbing the bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "I've never seen him this excited."

"Think I might be able to talk him into coming to our place for Thanksgiving?" Sam asked. "Colleen's been dying to meet him."

Shiro frowned at that. "I don't know. Keith's been making a lot of progress lately, but I'm not so sure he's ready to leave the shack just yet."

Nodding his head, Sam accepted that. "Maybe next year. Might I interest you in coming?"

"Me?" Shiro asked, blinking. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Son, if someone invites you somewhere, that's usually a good indication that you won't be intruding." Sam pointed out. "Give it some thought. Either way, we'll probably have some leftovers for Keith."

"Shiro!" Keith called out from the shack, poking his head out the door. "Come on, hurry up!"

"Dad, bring the cake already!" Katie called out, poking her head out, just underneath Keith's.

Laughing, Sam quickened his pace, leaving Shiro to follow suit. Setting the cake box down on the table, he carefully opened it up. "Shiro tells me he's been buying you grocery store cakes for the past two years, Keith, but this one here, my wife made."

"Mom makes the _best_ cakes." Matt told him.

Peering at the cake with marked curiosity, Keith gave it a sniff. "Can we eat it now?"

"You don't want to open your presents first?" Shiro asked, setting the bag down, producing the bag of candy- assorted chocolates, cracking it open and dumping it in the bowl they'd already set aside.

Keith squinted at him, as if he had said something strange. "Cake goes first, Shiro."

"Of course it does." He said simply. "You want to try cutting it? You're thirteen now, Keith."

"Same age as me!" Matt chimed in. "For now, at least."

"Bleh, you're both _old_." Katie joked, sticking out her tongue- and though Shiro laughed, he couldn't help but wonder what that made _him_ in her eyes. Suddenly twenty felt too old. "Hurry up and cut the cake already, Keith!"

Nodding his head, Keith picked up the cake cutter- and after studying it for half a second, wasted no time in splitting up the cake with more skill than he'd ever done it with. Guess his skills with the knife translated.

The party picked up from there- cake and candy alike were both gone before either of the adults had even noticed. Presents were exchanged- and he was pretty sure some small part of Keith's brain ground to a halt when he realized he was getting more than one present this year.

By the end of the party, he could tell that Keith was exhausted. It didn't come as too much of a surprise- Keith wasn't used to being the center of attention like this. Katie and Matt said their goodbyes, to which he gave a sleepy wave, watching on the porch until Sam's car disappeared back over the horizon.

"You can take a nap, if you want." Shiro told him. "I can finish cleaning up."

Letting out another yawn, Keith blinked his eyes, merely giving him a nod, before he all but collapsed on the couch. He was out like a light before he knew it. Pausing his work, he tossed a blanket over him, before he finished gathering up the plates and utensils, moving as quietly as he could.

When he was done, he stooped over by the couch, ruffling Keith's hair lightly. Cracking one eye open, Keith peered up at him. "Leaving?"

"Yeah." Shiro told him. "You have fun?"

Closing his eye, Keith nestled further into the couch. "Yeah."

Smiling, Shiro drew his hand away, watching as Keith drifted back off into sleep. Maybe he couldn't give Keith the normal life he deserved, but if he could still make him this happy, then he must have been doing _something_ right.

In the end, that was what mattered the most.

* * *

"You know, I got offered a new job."

Perking up, Keith peered over at him, a hint of apprehension in his expression. "You're not moving, right?"

"Nope, still with the Galaxy Garrison." Shiro told him. "They want me to help transport supplies to the new Mars research colony."

Now he had _really_ caught Keith's attention- sitting straight up, he crossed his legs in front of him, peering up at him. He always felt bad about taking the couch whenever he was over, but Keith always seemed pretty content to sit on the floor, so it probably wasn't that big of a deal.

"You mean you'll get to go to Mars?" Keith asked.

"Yup." Shiro told him. "Journey will take longer though, so I'd be away for longer."

Quickly determining what he was getting at, Keith narrowed his eyes. "Shiro, if you don't take this job, I won't let you back in the shack."

Wow, that stung.

Letting out a small chuckle, Shiro merely grinned. "Okay, point taken. I'll take the job."

Keith looked pleased with that. "Good. Make sure to tell me everything."

"Promise." Shiro told him.

Satisfied with that, Keith gave him a curt nod of his head. "Remember what I told you."

"Don't go after any purple aliens." Shiro told him. "Don't worry Keith, I've got it. Besides, I'm pretty sure someone would have noticed by now if your mother's people were hanging out in our solar system."

Cocking an eyebrow, Keith merely gestured to himself- which okay, good point.

He'd grown again- only a handful more inches, putting him up past his elbow. He seemed to grow in unpredictable spurts, gaining as much as a few inches at a time. It was hard to say when his growth period would be over, or even how tall he would get at the end of it.

It was enough for him to need new clothes. Thankfully, Sam had saved some of Matt's old clothes, and although green looked terrible against Keith's purple skin, it was cheaper than having to buy him clothes that he'd just outgrow in a few weeks time.

He'd outgrown his boots, though, and was once again barefoot.

Glancing at his feet, it wasn't hard to see why- they'd definitely gotten a bit larger. He'd go so far as to say they were almost slightly out of proportion for his body, but perhaps he'd grow into them yet.

They had opted to wait on replacing his shoes- custom ordering boots wasn't exactly cheap, and it was better to be sure the pair they bought him would fit by the end of the month rather than rush into it. He wasn't too wild about the idea- the reason that they had bought them in the first place had been to protect him, but it was also probably their best option.

"Shiro?" Cocking his head, Keith caught his head. "Something wrong?"

Blinking, realizing that he had been staring, Shiro shook his head. "No, just thinking about your growth spurt, that's all."

Giving him a small smile, Keith looked amused. "Mom told dad once that some of her kind could get up to eight feet tall."

If he had been eating something, he almost surely would have choked on it. "Eight- _eight feet!?_ "

Keith had one hundred percent said that to earn the very same reaction he was giving him now, but damned if he couldn't help it. He'd accepted Keith growing taller, but eight feet tall? He couldn't even wrap his head around the idea. Where would they even get him clothes?

"But mom wasn't that tall." Keith added. "She was shorter than dad, just by a bit."

Letting out a breath of relief, Shiro placed a hand over his heart. So this is what they meant by the phrase _almost had a heart attack_.

"Don't tease me like that, Keith." Shiro told him. "No offense, but I can't even _imagine_ you getting that tall."

"I'm not sure I'd _want_ to be that tall." Keith admitted. "I already don't blend in as it is."

Being around Katie and Matt had done wonders for his self-confidence, it was true- but it had also sharpened the reality of how different he was from normal humans. There was nothing he could even say to that- he couldn't reassure him that it wasn't true, because he knew that it was.

No matter how you sliced it, Keith stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Who knows, maybe a few years from now, Earth will discover alien life." Shiro told him. "Then you could be free to do whatever you wanted."

Keith frowned at that. "That's wishful thinking."

"Nothing wrong with that." Shiro told him. "Sometimes it's nice."

"Not when it won't come true." Keith told him, brow furrowing. "Besides, if Earth _does_ come in contact with alien life, it'll probably be-"

He stopped himself short there, glancing down at his clawed hands.

Frowning, Shiro watched him in silence for a long moment. As he suspected, he knew more about his mother's people than he let on.

"Whatever is true of them, it's clear that it's not true of you." Shiro told him. "Besides, you said it yourself, right? Your mother's not bad."

Shaking his head, Keith still didn't look up, his frown not fading from his face. "No, she's not."

"See?" Shiro told him. "Besides, you've read enough history to know that there's plenty of bad humans too. Maybe a lot of your mother's people are bad, but I don't think whatever it is that causes that is in the blood."

"I know." Keith admitted, finally peeking out from underneath his bangs. "But sometimes I wish I still looked human."

There... wasn't much he could say to that. There was no denying that Keith's life would be much easier were he still human in appearance. He might be on track to becoming a cadet at the Garrison by now- fourteen was the minimum age at which someone could apply. He knew Matt was already looking into it.

Instead he was here, out in the desert.

"You know, if you ever wanted to go out in public, I'd support you." Shiro told him- and clearly Keith hadn't been expecting that, because he jerked up his head, golden eyes wide. "I won't lie to you, it wouldn't be easy, but if you ever wanted it... I'd be behind you."

For a moment, Keith was struck speechless- before he cracked a small smile. "That'd be nice."

He shook his head then, gaze drifting downwards again. "But impossible."

Shiro wanted to say something, to deny that it was such- but he couldn't say them in complete sincerity, and if there was anything Keith deserved, it was that.

"Besides," the smile that Keith cracked was strained, and stung just to look at, "-the desert's not so bad. You can see more stars out here than in the city, dad said."

"Yeah," letting out a long sigh, Shiro returned his smile, "-you can."

* * *

"Alright Keith, give her a try."

He'd spotted Sam's car as he pulled up to the shack, so it was no surprise that the man was here- he just hadn't expected his voice to be coming from around back. Making his way in that direction, he made out a strange sound- one that took him a second to register as the sound of an engine sputtering, and then dying.

"Professor Holt?" Shiro called out. "Keith?"

"Back here!" Keith's voice called out, and he frowned, coming around the back of the shack. It was only once he saw what was going on, that understanding clicked.

"Trying to get that working again, huh?"

"Yep." Wiping some oil off of his hands, Sam nodded his head. "Easier said than done. I thought it was just lack of maintenance that did the poor girl in, but it looks like she's got a few more woes than that."

 _Poor girl_ was Keith's father's hoverbike. Ever since his death, it had been sitting at the side of the shack, with only a tarp to protect it from the harsh desert elements. It's once vibrant red and white paint had dulled over the years, and when he'd given it a try years ago, it had sputtered and died almost instantly.

"Mr. Holt's been teaching me!" Keith told him- and he couldn't help but notice that he was covered in oil, too. Thankfully, he'd changed into some of his father's old clothes, rather than get any of it on his new clothes.

He'd leveled out at about chest height, and from the looks of things, he was done growing for now. All things considered, he'd gotten pretty tall- for a thirteen year old, at least. At least with this, they had been able to buy new clothes for him, that fit properly- not to mention a new pair of boots, which he had designed to match the old pair almost exactly.

Creature of habit indeed.

"Has he now?" Shiro asked, arching a brow, glancing over towards Sam, who merely gave him a shrug. "Well he's a pretty good teacher, if you want to learn."

"Makes me long for my old days of teaching engineering at the Garrison." Sam remarked.

"Why _did_ you switch?" Shiro asked. He'd heard about it before, but he'd never known the reason why.

"Not enough bio teachers." Sam said simply. "I've got a double major for a reason. Might as well put it to good use."

"He taught my dad!" Keith piped up, jumping off the hoverbike.

"That I did." Sam noted, patting the hoverbike. "Most of this girl's a custom job, from the looks of things. He always was good with his hands."

Huh. He'd been wondering about that- it was different from mass market hoverbikes, and even the more cutting edge ones that the Garrison had. A custom job made sense.

"Now I hope you weren't planning on trying to fly that thing without any lessons." Shiro said, shifting his gaze back towards Keith. It was easier now that he was taller, but it still took some getting used to, not having to look down so far. He was so used to him being waist high, that to have him this tall was just a bit surreal.

Well, at least he wasn't eight feet tall.

( _Not yet_ , some part of him supplied. Which... nope, not gonna think about that.)

"I was kind of hoping you would teach me?" Keith ventured.

Smiling, Shiro ruffled his hair- on the plus side, that was a lot easier to do now. "Of course, kiddo. All you had to do was ask."

"But," he added, "-no solo flights until I clear you, okay?"

"Promise." Keith told him.

"Great." Shiro said. "Now, what can I do to help?"

* * *

The first time he let Keith at the controls of a hoverbike, one thing became clear to him.

The kid was a natural.

He took to the concepts presented to him with ease, absorbing information with eagerness. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise- he'd been much the same when it came to academics. Keith was clever, taking to his lessons with enthusiasm.

It only made the fact that his dream of becoming a pilot was so unattainable hurt more. No wonder he took to learning how to fly a hoverbike so eagerly- this might very well be the closest thing he could ever get to flying for real.

(In the back of his mind, the roots of a plan were forming, but that was for another time.)

Their lessons were on a Garrison hoverbike- not only was it what he was most familiar with, but Keith's father's bike was still very much a work in progress. Sam quickly discovered the problem- mixed in with very terrestrial parts were parts of decidedly _extra_ terrestrial origin.

Which, given what he knew about Keith's father, somehow didn't surprise him.

Still, Sam was nothing if not brilliant- and though it took him awhile, eventually, he got it up and running again. He'd taken Keith on it on a ride through the desert, and the thing handled like a dream. It made his Garrison hoverbike look like a child's toy in comparison.

Which just left one thing- painting.

"You know, now that we're actually doing this," Sam said, "-I'm not sure this was such a good idea."

He was probably right about that, Shiro thought.

One teenager, one preteen, and one child, with several buckets of paint. What could possibly go wrong?

A lot. A lot could go wrong.

"That's what the adult supervision is here for." Shiro told him. "Besides, we already did the first coat, now all they need to do is add the red paint."

Sam merely lifted his brows, the expression of a man with far more experience with parenting than he had. He'd be lying if he said it didn't fill him with a certain sense of dread, but he pushed it aside for the time being.

It couldn't go _that_ badly, could it?

As it turned out, yes, yes it could.

"Huh," Shiro frowned, "-I guess paint doesn't come off easy on you."

Grumbling, Keith buried his face in his hands, partially masking the bright red handprint that stood out against his purple skin. It was the exact size and shape of Katie's hand, right on the side of his face, all but swallowing one of the darker violet markings on his cheek.

At least the bike was painted. Looked pretty good, too.

"At least I don't _go_ anywhere. No one out here to judge me but coyotes." Keith muttered, peeking out from behind his hands. "It'll have to wash off _eventually_ , right?"

"Eventually." Shiro told him. "You have to admit, it's pretty funny."

Shooting him a glare, the kind only a thirteen year old could manage, Keith frowned. "It's covering my _markings_."

Lifting his brows, Shiro dunked the rag back in water, indicating with one hand for Keith to move his. He did, allowing him access to the bright red handprint. "Is that important?"

Closing his eyes, Keith let Shiro fuss at him, trying largely in vain to get off the paint. He knew Keith's skin texture was different, but he hadn't expected paint to cling to it so well. "They're the same as my mom's."

Ah. He didn't need to say anything more than that.

Keith might have complicated feelings towards the alien half of his heritage, but none of that seemed to apply to his mother. He had been raised on his father's stories of her, of the valiant, brave woman who went back into space for the sake of protecting them.

He also knew he longed to meet her.

He still didn't know what his mother looked like- there were no photographs of her around. If Keith had any, he was keeping them hidden. Just the fact that they had the same markings was new information.

"It's just," Keith began, "-I don't look the same as when she left. What if she comes back, and doesn't recognize me?"

"I'm sure she would." Shiro assured him.

Mothers always recognized their children- but beyond that, there was the much simpler reason that Keith was the _only_ purple half-alien living out in the desert that he knew of. Even if she didn't, the dots wouldn't be that hard to connect.

"Yeah, but what if she _doesn't_?" Keith insisted.

Dropping his hand, Shiro gave him an assessing look. The paint still wasn't coming off, but he imagined with time, it would eventually flake off on its own. "So you think she'd recognize her markings?"

Peeking one eye open, Keith glanced at him with a slight frown. "Yeah."

Letting out a slight sigh, Shiro hung the rag on the bucket. "Are you mad at Katie? For covering it up?"

"No." Keith said, a little too quickly. Arching his brow, Keith caught the look, quickly averting his eyes- he'd been around him long enough to be able to tell. "...maybe. A little. It wasn't on purpose."

Nodding his head, satisfied with that, Shiro got to his feet. "Well, I don't think there's much more I can do for it now, Keith. You're just going to have to wait for time to deal with it."

At least the paint was non-toxic, he thought to himself.

Grumbling, Keith hung his head, shoulders slumping. "That's what I thought you'd say."

"Chin up, kiddo." Shiro told him, ruffling his hair. "You three did a good job with the bike. It looks brand new."

Glancing up, Keith looked back towards it, a fond smile on his face. He sensed that restoring his father's hoverbike wasn't just done out of his desire to learn how to ride it.

The shack, the bike... they were pieces of his father that had been left behind. Just like his mother's knife, he treasured them dearly.

One dead, the other impossibly far away.

He hoped, at least a little, that he could fill that gap.

* * *

The paint did come off in the end, though it had taken awhile to fade. Keith had grumbled about it the whole time, which was pretty understandable- it _did_ make him look kind of ridiculous.

Not that he ever said that out loud. Thirteen was a delicate age.

Thirteen, huh.

Keith had come a long way since the first time they'd met. He talked more than before, and was more open. While he was still afraid of the outside world, his own world was bigger than it had been before- one day, the time might come when he would be willing to leave the shack.

Whatever he chose, Shiro would be behind him, one hundred percent of the way. He wasn't confident that he could protect him, if it came down to it- but if it did, he would do his best. No one would hurt Keith, not on his watch.

If one day, Keith told him he was sick of living in hiding, and wanted a normal life, he would do everything in his power to give him just that. Hell, if he told him he wanted to join the Galaxy Garrison, he'd march him right into Iverson's office himself and demand that the man enroll him, no questions asked- and no funny business. Somehow, he doubted that would ever happen- his fear was deeply ingrained into him, but one day, there _was_ a chance that he might actually accept one of Sam's invitations.

He couldn't help but feel a little proud.

He wasn't certain what the future would bring for Keith- but at least now, he felt a little more optimism for it.

He sensed he wasn't alone in this.

But there was a dark side- the more Keith's world opened up, the more frustrated he grew at his own circumstances. He kept such feelings mostly to himself, but he knew that he had once asked Sam if there was a way to turn him back the way he once was.

There hadn't been.

To his credit, Sam _had_ looked into the matter, to the best of his ability. But the truth was, no one really knew what the cause of Keith's transformation was- just that it had likely saved his life.

As his trust in Sam grew, so did what he allowed to examine him for, coming to understand that any tests he might want to do were truly for his own good, and not for any sinister motivation. The more they knew about him, they better they could care for him if something went wrong. After his scare with the rattlesnake, it seemed he understood this more than ever.

As far as Sam could tell, his mother's species must have been extremely adaptive, especially at a young age. It explained just how well suited Keith was for living in the desert, even more specifically for the exact climate he lived in.

If he _did_ ever leave the desert, it would be something they would need to keep an eye on. After being so acclimatized to living in one extreme environment, it was possible that he might have challenges adjusting to others.

He was used to extreme heat- extreme _dry_ heat. Humidity, Sam theorized, might be something of a problem for him, as well as altitude- the part of the desert in which he lived, while possessing fairly tall peaks in places, was still pretty low. Extreme cold, snow- anything bigger than a small town might be a problem.

Not to mention large bodies of water. Keith didn't know how to swim.

Still, it wasn't impossible. Cooked meat had made him sick the first few times Shiro had given it to him, but eventually he got used to eating it again. He had simply gotten out of the habit.

(He hadn't even known until later. Keith hadn't told him.)

Keith was still young- his development period wasn't over. Probably.

Sam seemed pretty sure of it at least. Half human or not, he was doubtful that someone who carried half of his blood from a race that got up to eight feet tall would remain at the height he was forever. He didn't know much about the lifespan of his mother's race, but Keith, at least, seemed to develop along to lines of a normal human.

Didn't mean it would _stay_ that way, but that was a thought for another time.

Whatever the future brought, whatever Keith decided, he'd be there for him. He'd promised him that much, that day four years ago- and he didn't intend to let him down.


	5. fourteen

Chapter fourteen time! It's the Fourth of July, so naturally, it's time to write about Thanksgiving! Keith makes a big step in this chapter, and I, just like Shiro, am so proud of him. That's my boy, out there, doing his best.

* * *

 **desert born**

 **fourteen**

* * *

"I'll go."

As such things usually did with him, the declaration came out of the blue. Keith was fourteen, and though he had grown no taller since his growth spurt had finished, his voice had begun to change, cracking in places and sometimes making him feel too awkward to talk.

Setting down his cup, Shiro looked curiously at Keith. "Go where?"

Keith saying he'd go _anywhere_ was worthy of note, but it would help to have some kind of destination in mind.

Shifting on his feet, hesitation written clear on his features, Keith frowned. "To Mr. Holt's place. To the dinner."

For a moment, all he could do was stare at Keith, wondering if he had heard him right. _Keith_? Telling him that he wanted to _leave_ the shack? The desert?

And then he smiled, because there was no part of that that wasn't a good thing.

"That's great, Keith." Shiro told him. "But you're sure?"

Nodding his head, Keith gave him an awkward smile. "It's okay, right?"

"It's absolutely okay." Shiro told him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I'll tell Sam right away, and we'll work up plans. I'm sure Katie and Matt will be thrilled."

"You'll come too, right?" Keith asked, looking up at him.

"Of course, kiddo." Shiro told him. "Sam's been trying to get me to swing by his place for ages now. I'm sure they won't mind having two extra people around for Thanksgiving."

It had never really been a holiday he'd celebrated, being a purely American thing, but he could see the appeal in it. Gathering around a table with friends and family, eating a big meal- it was simple, but he liked that sort of thing.

And for Keith? For Keith, it would be a huge step forward.

Leaving the desert. Even if it was just to the neighboring town, it was a huge milestone. Not only did it mean that Keith had come to trust Sam to the extent that he was willing to accept such an invitation, but it also meant that his fear of the outside world, once so strong it caused him to tremble at the mere _thought_ of meeting a stranger, had begun to wane.

He had made such strides since the day they'd met. He couldn't help but feel just a little proud.

Nodding his head, Keith appeared satisfied with that. "Good. Because I'm not going if you're not."

He'd kind of expected that too. Baby steps, he thought. He let Sam into the shack when he wasn't around, so one day, that trust might extend to leaving the shack with him too.

When he approached Sam about it, the man had been just as stunned as he had been. It hadn't taken him long to crack a broad smile, telling him that they were both more than welcome. He called his wife on the spot, telling her that they would need two more place settings for Thanksgiving dinner.

Actually _getting_ Keith was there was a bit more of a challenge.

There was no way around it- they would have to drive on public roads. Plotting out a route that would take them down less trafficked roads was a must- even if Keith would be easy enough to hide in the back seat of a car, the less people, the better. This was a big step for him, but there was still a chance that he might get nervous, and ask them to turn around midway.

They'd do it if he asked, of course they would. But they wanted to minimize the chance of that.

Driving him back in the dark would be... trickier. They would be taking Sam's car, not his hoverbike, and the desert terrain could be rough, uncertain. Combine that with no lights and no proper road, and it made for a bit of a dangerous trek.

They could ask Keith if he wanted to sleep over, but just leaving the shack was a huge risk for him. He wasn't sure how he'd take to the idea of spending an entire night away from it.

He didn't, just as he thought. A new plan was drawn up- they would drive him as far as the Garrison, to which there were clear roads, and Shiro would pick up his hoverbike there. From there, he could take Keith back, his hoverbike able to handle the uncertain terrain better than a car would.

It was a bit on the complicated side, he'd admit. But Keith had come to him, told him that he wanted to leave the desert- even if it was only for a few hours, so he was going to do whatever he could to make it work.

They weren't _too_ worried about any potential issues with climate. The town that the Holt family lived in was only about twenty miles out from the desert, and nearly the entire town was powered by solar power. Keith would probably be just fine. They would keep an eye out, just in case, but Sam had assured him there was unlikely to be anything that they would need to worry about.

The town itself was virtually owned by the Galaxy Garrison, in a sense, so that was a risk. But so long as they played their cards right, nobody would pay _too_ much attention to Keith during the short span of time it took him to get in and out of the car.

Certainly not long enough to notice that he was purple.

On the big day, Keith was waiting for them outside the shack, probably having picked up on the sound of the car. The thin, hooded jacket he wore helped to shield his face, and he'd dug out a pair of gloves from somewhere. Which... probably would have been more effective, had he not cut the fingers off.

Probably to make it easier on his claws, but still.

He didn't miss the old belt he wore around his waist, nor the fact that his mother's knife was strapped to the back of it. He raised a brow at that, but left it well enough alone. If Keith felt that he needed to bring it with him, then he wasn't about to stop him.

He gave them a weak smile as they pulled up, and for a second, he almost thought he'd tell them he'd changed his mind. But instead, Keith drew in a deep breath, sliding into the back of Sam's car.

"Okay," he told them, determination clear in his gaze, "-let's go."

"Sure thing." Sam told him. "Buckle up."

Nodding his head, Keith put his seatbelt on, reaching up to check the hood of his jacket. Tugging it down lower over his head, he sunk back as far into his seat as he could manage, anxiety almost palpable.

They hadn't even _left_ yet.

"You can tell us to turn around anytime, Keith." Shiro told him, peering back at him.

Giving him a curt nod of his head, Keith glanced up at him. "I know. I'm fine, Shiro. I want to do this."

The drive through the desert wasn't so bad. Keith would peer out the window on occasion, curious. But as soon as they hit a proper road, he withdrew into himself, ducking his head down low as if he were afraid a passing driver would notice that the passenger in the back of the car next to him looked more than just a little odd.

To pass the time, Sam started talking. He sensed it was to keep Keith's mind off his surroundings, which seemed to help. Every so often, he would pipe up with a small comment or two, but for the most part, he just listened to Sam in silence.

He couldn't tell if it was because of his nerves, or because he was interested in the topic- or both. The Galaxy Garrison had put Sam in charge of the construction of a new type of shuttle- one for long range space missions, manned ones.

Shiro was almost one hundred percent certain he was sharing top secret information, but the only person that Keith could possibly leak it to was sitting in the same car with them, so probably not that big of a deal.

It did serve to keep Keith's mind off of things. Every once in awhile, he would chance a glance out the window, but the second a car or a pedestrian passed by, he would duck his head back, hood worn so low over his eyes he couldn't even see them. It confirmed what he had long suspected- that though he feared it, Keith was nevertheless curious about the outside world.

This was his first chance out in it since he was three years old.

Twelve years.

He'd been in the desert for twelve years. No wonder his body had started to adapt.

Sam theorized that it was yet another trait he had inherited from his mother's people. That whoever they were, they were survivalists first and foremost, leaving their young to adapt to whatever climate they were raised in. He could see why it would make them somewhat fearsome- give them a generation, and they would be just as good at handling another planet's climate as those who had lived there for centuries.

He wondered if it would be a trait Keith would have possessed even if he _hadn't_ turned purple.

Rather than focus on questions he didn't have the answers to, he listened to Sam drone on. It was interesting, even if he admitted that he didn't have the technical know how to keep up with half of it. He doubted Keith did either, but Sam nevertheless made even his techno babble sound interesting, so neither of them particularly minded, he sensed.

To be able to go farther than any human ever had... maybe in light of Keith, it should have captured his fascination a little less, but as it stood, it did.

And Keith?

Of course it captured his attention.

He had a deep yearning for the stars, for space. That much was clear from the first day he met him. Maybe it was the alien blood in his veins, maybe it was his longing desire to meet his mother, maybe both, neither, or something else entirely.

"You see that, Keith?" Sam said eventually. "That house there, that's our place."

Perking up, Keith peered towards it. Turning to look for himself, a faint smile crossed Shiro's face. Katie and Matt were already waiting for them, each of them jumping to their feet the moment they saw Sam's car turn down the street. The woman hovering behind them must have been Colleen, Sam's wife.

"That lady waiting there with them is my wife." Sam told them, confirming what he had just thought. "Her name's Colleen. She's very excited to finally get the chance to meet you, Keith."

Keith frowned underneath his hood, but slowly nodded his head. He couldn't see his eyes to read them, but there was a slight apprehension in the way he gripped at the car seat.

"It'll be fine, Keith." Shiro reassured him. "I'll be meeting her for the first time too."

Nodding his head, Keith chewed on the edge of his lip. "Is she nice?"

"Of course!" Sam told him, beaming from ear to ear. "She's my wife. Wouldn't have married her otherwise."

That seemed to give Keith some small sense of relief, as the car pulled into the driveway. Sam got out first, Shiro following behind him. Katie and Matt both looked eager, and he half expected them to race to the car to pounce on their friend, but they'd all agreed the faster they got Keith inside, the better.

Opening the door for Keith, Shiro helped him out of the car. He didn't think it was possible for him to have pulled his hood any lower over his head, but he'd somehow managed, his hands shoved deep inside the pockets. To any curious onlookers, there was barely a trace of purple skin visible.

All the curtains in the Holt household were drawn, he noted. Nobody was taking any chances.

Leading Keith towards the porch of the house, he gave his friends a nervous nod of his head in greeting, still tense. Colleen had already gone inside, sensing that their first meeting would be done better within the confines of the house.

It wasn't until the door closed firmly behind him, that most of the tension washed out of Keith. He'd been holding his breath, finally letting it out, but didn't quite move to pull down his hood just yet, instead nervously shuffling in the entryway.

"Keith," Sam began, "-this is my wife, Colleen. Colleen, this is Keith."

"I've heard so much about you, Keith." Colleen told him, a soft smile on her face, as she held out her hand. "It's so nice to finally meet you."

Hesitating for the span of a moment, Keith eventually pulled his hand out of his pocket, taking Colleen's. She momentarily lifted her brows at the sight of purple skin and claws, but bit back any kind of remark on it, instead giving Keith's hand a firm shake.

"...nice to meet you."

His words came out as a whisper. Being in a new environment, meeting a new person- it didn't surprise him too much that Keith was back to acting skittish. He imagined he'd relax soon enough, he just needed time.

"I hope you're hungry, Keith." Colleen told him. "Why don't you go and clean up a bit? Matt, can you show him where the bathroom is?"

"Sure thing, mom!" Matt said, grinning at Keith. "Come on, it's this way."

Nodding his head, Keith trailed behind Matt. Watching him disappear down the hall, Shiro turned towards Colleen, giving her a smile. "Thanks for having us. I hope we're not intruding."

"Not at all." Colleen was quick to reassure him. "The more the merrier."

Before he could say anything else, there was a faint cry from down the hall. Recalling that was the direction that Matt had lead Keith towards, Shiro barely wasted any time in going after them. It didn't sound like one of distress, but what if-?

" _Keith!_ "

The moment Keith looked at him, Shiro's head filled with static. It took him precisely five seconds longer to recover than he was willing to admit to, but given the circumstances, he didn't think anyone so much as noticed.

Staring back at him, set in bright yellow sclera, were a pair of violet pupils. Later, upon closer examination, he would realize that they were more of a blue-violet, but at the moment, it took basically all of his processing power to comprehend the mere fact that Keith now had _pupils_.

Keith looked just as shocked, if not more so, than he was.

"...shiro?"

Snapping out of it, he motioned with one hand for Matt to give them a bit of space. The teen did, shuffling out of the way, allowing Shiro into the bathroom. Lightly cupping Keith's head in his hands, he let him peer down at him, taking stock of the curiosity that was Keith's pupils.

It wasn't until Sam made his way to join them, that they got some kind of answer. Stepping aside to let him look at them, Keith allowed him to study his eyes, trying not to squirm too much under his touch. He could tell all the attention he was on the receiving end of was more than a little overwhelming for him, but he was doing his best to tolerate it.

Colleen, sensing something was wrong, kept a hand on Katie's shoulder, keeping her from joining in. He flashed her a grateful smile, which she returned with an understanding nod.

"It's some kind of third eyelid- the solid yellow, that is." Sam finally concluded, stepping back to give Keith some much needed breathing room. "A protective membrane. Once he left the desert proper, he didn't need it anymore, so it receded."

Huh. Guess that would explain why Keith didn't know about it.

Watching as the person in question peered at his own reflection in the mirror, watching his own pupils track his movements, he gave him a small smile. Resting a hand on his shoulder, he gave it a light squeeze. "You okay?"

Glancing up towards him, Keith blinked, before slowly nodding his head. "Yeah. Just surprised, that's all."

"For the record," Matt chimed in, "-still cool."

* * *

It had taken them awhile to get Keith out of the bathroom after that, but eventually, he left. Katie had all but yanked his head down, eager to get a look at his pupils for herself, and he'd let her. He seemed prone to indulging her, as if subconsciously realizing that she was younger than him, and allowing her to do things that wouldn't fly with anyone else.

There was no denying that Keith looked nervous, out of place in the Holt household. He kept fidgeting with anything he could get his hands on- usually his sleeves, or the hem of his shirt, sometimes his hood.

He kept his hood down, but would often check the curtains, just to make sure that they were still drawn, and that nobody could look in and see him. The jacket stayed on though, concealing as much purple skin as possible.

It took Shiro a moment to realize that it wasn't just the unfamiliar environment that was making him nervous, it was the _space_.

The shack Keith had been raised in was tiny, almost one room- the little side rooms that served as the bathroom, bedroom, and the kitchen could barely be called rooms of their own. The bedroom was literally only big enough for the bed, and even then, one had to climb into it from the front.

Putting him in a proper house, one meant to house a family of four? There was so much open space, and it was clear that he didn't know what to do with it.

He did calm down after awhile, though, just as he suspected.

Colleen, for her part, kept him busy with tasks. Normally she wouldn't make a guest work, but she sensed that Keith needed something to keep his mind off of things, and set him to work helping to set the table. It took a few tries- Keith had never done anything like it before, but with a bit of a guiding hand, he eventually had place settings in their proper place.

It was also clear that Keith had never seen that much food in one place in his life. To someone who had spent four years of his life living only off of what he could hunt, it must have looked like a feast.

"Help yourself, Keith." Sam told him. "No need to hold back. Plenty more where this came from."

Looking up at him with wonderment- though he'd learned to read them without, Shiro wasn't about to deny that the presence of pupils made his eyes easier to read- Keith glanced down at his plate. Compared to everyone else, he hadn't taken much- been too nervous to, he was willing to bet.

At first, all he did was snatch another roll.

Then, once he saw that everyone else was helping themselves to second and third helpings, he slowly took more for himself.

Conversation was animated, but for the large part, Keith preferred to listen. He would comment sometimes, and when asked direct questions, would answer without hesitation, but he was otherwise more withdrawn than Shiro had seen him act in months.

By dessert, he became a little more vocal, the bulk of his nerves wearing off.

Shiro offered to help Colleen clean up after dinner, an offer which she gratefully accepted. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Katie tugged on Keith's arm, dragging him somewhere else in the house. Meeting his eyes, he gave him a faint smile, one which he returned.

"He's a good kid, isn't he?"

Glancing down at Colleen, Shiro's smile grew. "He is."

"Sam told me he's the son of that pilot that disappeared." Colleen told him. "Shame."

Setting the dishes down in the sink, Shiro nodded his head. He wasn't about to deny that. "Thanks again, for having us both here."

"Not at all." She told him. "He's Katie and Matt's friend. Though I'll admit, part of me thought Sam was pulling my leg when he told me that he was purple. Guess not."

Letting out a faint laugh, Shiro opened the dishwasher. There wasn't one of these at the shack either- everything had to be washed by hand. "He is that. Today was a big step for him."

"So I'm told." Colleen said. "You're doing right by him, you know. Looking after him like this."

"I do what I can." Shiro told her. "Sometimes I feel like it's just not enough."

Letting out a low hum, Colleen rinsed off a few dishes, before tucking them away in the dishwasher. "That's just how being a parent feels, sometimes."

Scratching the back of his neck, Shiro gave her a sheepish smile. "I was kind of hoping for older brother, really."

Maybe that was a bit presumptuous of him. He thought of Keith as a little brother, but he didn't know how _Keith_ felt about him. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself.

Finishing up with the dishes, Shiro excused himself to go find Keith. It was about time to start heading back. Trying to recall which way Katie had been leading Keith, he started his search in that general direction. Hearing voices from the backyard, he headed that way, peeking his head out of the back door.

Sure enough, there they were, all three of them. Keith had his hood drawn up, peering through a microscope set up in the backyard, as Matt eagerly fed him information about the Mars colony, Katie chiming in with additions every now and again. It was such a nice sight, that for a moment, he caught himself lingering in the doorway, not wanting to break it up.

This was it.

This was the kind of life that Keith was _supposed_ to lead.

His shoulders slumping, he caught himself for a moment wondering what he would do in the future. Keith wouldn't be a child forever- already, he was a proper teenager. One day he would grow up, and then what?

What kind of prospects did he have?

Shaking off the thought, Shiro called out to Keith. In the dark, his eyes, pupils and all, glowed from underneath his hood.

"Hey kiddo." Shiro told him. "Time to start heading back."

For a moment, he almost looked disappointed- before he gave Shiro a curt nod of his head.

"You're leaving already?" Katie whined. "But you just _got_ here."

Furrowing his brow, Keith peered down at her. "I got here like, four hours ago."

Making a face, Katie peered up at him. "I wasn't being _literal_ , Keith."

Blinking, Keith frowned. "Oh."

"You'll come visit again, right?" Matt asked. "You could spend the night next time!"

Shifting on his feet, Keith cracked a small grin, looking a little hesitant. "Maybe."

Hanging back as the children said their goodbyes, Shiro patted Keith's head when he joined him. "You did good today, Keith. Let's get you home."

And really, he had.

Keith's first excursion out of the desert. He could only hope that it was one of many more to come.

* * *

Matt ended up coming to the desert first.

Beaming, he wore his cadet uniform with pride. That he was taking the exams to become a cadet was no secret, but he'd wanted to tell Keith himself that he'd passed. Apparently that meant showing up at the shack in full uniform.

Back in the desert, Keith's eyes had returned to their pupilless state. He could only assume that they were still _there_ , he just couldn't see them. Sam had examined his eyes again later, and had confirmed his theory. The third eyelid likely served to protect him against the blowing sand, from which there was no relief to be found in the desert.

Pupils or no pupils, they still shone with excitement.

"You got in!"

"I got in!"

"That's great, Matt!" His voice was so earnest, as if he meant every word of it. Why wouldn't he? Attending the Galaxy Garrison was Matt's dream, he knew that- and he'd never known Keith be resentful.

Stubborn, yes. Resentful, no. Jealous?

Possibly.

"I know, right?" Matt beamed. "I'll be moving into the dorms this weekend. You know what that means, right?"

"Ah," Shiro cut in, sensing where the conversation was going, "-there will be no going off solo into the desert with you, not until you get your license."

"But _Shiro_ ," Matt whined, not seeming to care that he was fifteen years old, and therefore, too old to be whining, "-that won't be for another _year_!"

"No buts." Shiro told him, voice firm. "I'm sure your father would agree with me."

" _Keith_ doesn't have to get a license." Matt pouted.

"I'm legally dead." Keith reminded him, quirking a brow. Which, huh- he'd never thought about it, but he guessed that was true. "And _purple_. How am I supposed to get a license?"

Squinting, Matt frowned at him. "Those are both fair points, but mine still stands."

"Keith's not allowed to fly on his own yet either." Shiro pointed out. "You want to visit Keith, you come find me."

Staring at him, as if this would somehow cause him to change his mind, Matt eventually relented. "Fine. At least we'll be closer though, right Keith? I can tell you all about life at the Garrison."

"You're going to be an engineer, right?" Keith asked. "Do you know what class yet?"

"Nah, not yet. Won't figure that out for awhile." Matt told him. "Class isn't such a big deal to engineers anyways. Fighter class _sounds_ cool, but it's all the same basic mechanics. That's more of a pilot thing."

Keith's expression faltered a little at that. Catching it, Matt frowned.

He didn't know when he'd started to pick up on it, but he had- he could be pretty perceptive. Maybe Keith didn't resent him for it, but it was clear that Matt at least, felt bad about so easily getting into his dream school, when his best friend couldn't do the same.

"You know, I could probably get my hands on the latest sim manuals." Matt told him. "You interested?"

Perking up at that, Keith nodded his head. "Wouldn't you get in trouble, though?"

"Eh, I'm sure they have a few spares lying around." Matt said with a shrug. "Don't worry about it. Anything for a friend, right?"

He _probably_ shouldn't encourage that, but eh. If he actually went through with what he was planning, then he wouldn't exactly have much room to talk. Besides, Matt was right. They usually did have a few manuals to spare. He'd even thought of snatching a few up himself before, he'd just never quite gotten around to it.

Now that he wasn't a cadet, he didn't quite have the same access to their study materials. Sure, he could enter into the mentorship program, but that would just eat into his free time. He was basically Keith's mentor anyways, so it sort of worked out.

Cracking a faint grin, Keith nodded his head. "That's a promise, right?"

"Of course." Matt told him. "Holts don't break their promises."

"I'm starting to think you made all of these Holt family creeds up." Keith observed.

"Uh, no, of course not." Matt told him, even as he very visibly avoided making eye contact with Keith. "Holt family creed number one- Holts don't lie, remember?"

"Yeah," arching a brow, Keith's gaze briefly flickered over towards Shiro, amusement clear as day in it, "-sure. If you say so."

* * *

"Is it wrong that I'm jealous of him?"

Glancing over at Keith, Shiro set down the potato he was peeling. Keith didn't look up from his, though his hands had stopped moving. It wasn't hard to guess what he was talking about- if anything, he was just surprised it had taken him this long to open up about it. It had been _weeks_ since Matt had entered the Galaxy Garrison, nearly a month since he'd paid him that visit.

Then again, Keith and feelings were... sporadic, at best. Even to him, he kept certain aspects of himself closed off, like he was afraid of it. Afraid that it might hurt what they had, what _he_ had.

He had something here that he never could have imagined while living alone, and the older he got, the more clear that became to Shiro. It was a second chance that Keith thought he'd never have. He didn't want to risk it falling apart.

He was afraid of being alone again.

Now that he had a taste of this- of family, of friends- it was clear to him that he didn't want to let it go again. That if he lost it for a second time, he might not ever recover.

"Of Matt?" Shiro asked, though he already knew the answer.

Keith gave him a wordless nod of his head, gaze still fixed downwards.

"Do you resent him for getting into the Garrison?" Shiro asked, though he already knew the answer to this one too.

Looking up at him with wide eyes, Keith shook his head. "No. Never. He worked hard for it."

"Then it's fine." Shiro told him. "Jealousy's a natural emotion, everyone experiences it at some point. Just don't let it get the best of you."

Frowning, Keith looked back down. "It doesn't seem like it should be that simple."

Wiping his hand on a towel, Shiro ruffled Keith's hair, the fond gesture earning him a faint protest. Ah, one of the drawbacks of him growing up. "You're a good kid, Keith. Life's thrown some unfair hands at you, but it doesn't change that fact."

Going quiet, Keith stared contemplatively down at his hands. "I still wish I could go."

"I know you do, kiddo." Shiro told him. "If I could, I'd enroll you myself."

Letting out a faint bit of laughter, Keith looked up towards him. "How would that even work?"

Giving him a shrug, Shiro simply gave him a grin. "I'd make it work."

"Wish _I_ had that kind of optimism." Keith muttered.

"Don't worry, I've got enough to spare for the both of us." Shiro told him. "Now, you going to peel that potato or what? Stew's not going to make itself."

Giving him a faint smile, Keith picked up the peeler. "Thanks, Shiro."

"For what?"

"For just... you know. Being here." Keith told him. "You don't have to be."

"No." Shiro admitted. "But I am."

It was true- he could have just left Keith alone, never come back. His life would have continued completely unaffected, and in time, he'd have probably come to believe that his strange desert rescuer was nothing more than a fever dream, a product of head trauma.

"I will _always_ be here for you, Keith." Shiro told him. "I promise."

Keith said nothing to that.

* * *

"I want to show you something."

It wasn't the words that took him by surprise- it was the serious expression on Keith's face that did the trick. There was something to the way he held himself, at once hesitant and determined, as if he had resolved himself to do this, but still wasn't entirely convinced it was a good idea.

Whatever the case, it was clear he was dead serious about this.

"Alright," Shiro told him, "-show me."

Nodding his head, Keith tossed a canteen at him, which he caught with practiced ease. There was another one hanging off of Keith's belt, which he had since come to learn was a hand-me-down from his father. He'd started to wear it after his growth spurt, though from the worn notches on the belt, it was clear that it was still several sizes too big for him normally.

He guessed the second canteen wasn't for Keith.

Wordlessly tucking the canteen into his pack, Shiro nodded his head. Keith said nothing, merely motioned for him to follow him.

It was a good thing it was still early spring, otherwise the trek through the desert would have been more difficult. Even with the second canteen, he watched his water intake, not knowing how long the initial trek would take. If Keith thought he could make it on foot, it probably couldn't be _too_ far, but far enough to justify bringing water.

Keith didn't touch a drop of water. Didn't need it.

When he came to a stop, it was so abrupt, that Shiro nearly ran into him. As it was, he stopped just short of him.

"We're here."

 _Here_ turned out to be a cave. At first glance, the boulder that blocked access to it looked as if it had fallen there naturally- but upon a closer look, it seemed almost as if it had been placed there on purpose. It was nearly twice Keith's size, but he shoved it aside with only just the barest amount of struggle.

He'd gotten stronger since his growth spurt, apparently. Considering that he'd been strong enough at ten to carry him, unconscious, across the desert, that was saying something.

"In here." Keith told him, tossing him a flashlight.

Catching it, Shiro switched it on. Keith wouldn't need one, he knew. His night vision was excellent.

Following Keith into the cave, he shone the flashlight around, curious. There were marks on the ground, like something big had been dragged inside, more than once.

Once again, Keith came to a halt without warning. In the dark, it was easy to pinpoint where he was, the glow of his eyes giving him away. Frowning, Shiro directed the flashlight in the direction of his gaze.

He didn't know what he'd been expecting, but it wasn't this.

Taking a step forward, Shiro dropped his pack. Something _big_ had been dragged in here alright- something not of this world.

Maybe it was just the darkness of the cave, but the dark metal that had been used to build them gave them an imposing feeling. Reaching out a hand to touch one, he noted that it was cold, none of the desert heat effecting it. It sent a shiver down his spine.

There were two of them- one that looked nearly in pristine condition, except for where it had very clearly been salvaged for parts, and another that was less so- a crashed hunk of metal, an entire wing missing. The first one, at least, solved the mystery of Keith's father's hoverbike- chiefly, where those alien parts had come from.

He'd salvaged them, from this ship.

Keith had moved, standing by the ruined one. Resting a hand on it, he could tell he'd closed his eyes, their golden glow vanishing. Turning on his heel, he opened them again, giving him a faint smile- one that even in the dark, he could tell was strained.

"This was mom's ship."

Lowering his flashlight, Shiro looked first at the ship, then towards Keith. "Looks like it's seen better days."

That earned him a smile- a better one than he had shown before. "She crashed."

"I can tell." Shiro observed. "Is that how she met your father?"

Nodding his head, Keith looked up towards the ship. "Dad pulled her out from the wreck. Then she tried to stab him."

Arching a brow, Shiro couldn't help but quirk a grin. "Romantic."

Making a faint chuckle, Keith shrugged his shoulders. "Dad must have thought so. He married her."

He sensed Keith didn't mean that literally. Unless his father had managed to find the world's most indifferent priest, which... honestly, he wouldn't put past him.

"And this one?" Shiro asked, glancing towards the second ship.

Keith's brow furrowed, moving to stand in front of it. Before he quite knew what he was doing, he was already clambering up it, opening a hatch and disappearing inside. Moments later, the ship lit up, glowing a menacing red in the darkness of the cave.

Unbidden, Keith's own words from years ago came back to him.

 _"Dad said they're bad."_

Placing the flashlight in his mouth, Shiro clambered up the ship himself, peering down into the hatch. Keith was waiting for him, perched in the pilot's seat, face illuminated by the red glow of the displays.

Following him into the ship, Shiro hovered by Keith, watching him with curious eyes. He didn't move, but he caught the twitch of his ears, acknowledging his presence.

"It's a scout ship."

He didn't look up at him, gaze fixed straight ahead. The displays showed a text unlike anything he had ever seen before, though he could tell that it had been distorted, gabled. Probably due to all of the missing parts.

"A scout ship." Shiro echoed. "What was it scouting for?"

Narrowing his eyes, Keith frowned. "I can't tell you that. It's not safe."

Resting a hand on the pilot's seat, Shiro didn't quite know what to make of that answer, but decided to accept it. Whatever it was that had brought his mother to Earth, Keith clearly knew more about it than he did. If he said it wasn't safe, then it wasn't safe.

But-

"I'm guessing they didn't find, it then."

"No." Glancing up at him, Keith shook his head. "They stopped them."

 _They_ being Keith's parents, he assumed.

"But mom knew she couldn't stay." Keith told him. "That's why she left. That's _when_ she left. After that, dad dragged the remaining scout ship here, hid it."

"Does it still fly?" Shiro asked.

"No." Keith told him. "They blew up the intake valves. It can't take off anymore."

An alien ship that couldn't go anywhere. In a way, it reminded him of Keith.

Drawing up his feet, Keith hugged his knees, resting his chin on them. "Sometimes I come here, to listen to the chatter. It can't send any signals out, but sometimes it can still pick them up."

He got the sense that even if it could, Keith wouldn't dare send out a signal of his own.

"Yeah?" Shiro asked. "Can you understand it?"

"Not really." Keith admitted. "I remember a little bit, from when mom used to sing to me. Not much, though. It was a long time ago."

He'd point out that he was only fourteen, so it couldn't have been _that_ long ago. Somehow that didn't seem appropriate, so he kept it to himself.

"Do you know what they're called?" He asked instead. "Your mother's people?"

"Yeah." Keith told him- and for a second, he thought he wouldn't elaborate any further. Which, honestly? Would have been just fine. Keith didn't have to tell him anything he didn't want to.

But he did, the words slipping out, barely even a whisper.

"Galra."


	6. fifteen

Chapter six? Chapter six! The chapter in which Keith gets to have a bunch of new experiences and has fun! I mean that's every chapter but like, double so for this one. I'm so proud of my small purple son, he's growing so much.

* * *

 **desert born**

 **fifteen**

* * *

Keith didn't mention the Galra again after that, nor did Shiro press him to. He didn't show the ships to anyone else, not to Sam or to his friends, concealing them as if they were some kind of dark secret.

To Keith, they probably were.

Which made the fact that he had trusted him with them all the more noteworthy. He wasn't about to let that trust down.

Which was why, as much as he wanted to surprise him with this year's birthday present, he knew better. The whole plan was risky, he knew that much- even if he had spent the past two or three years putting it together, it didn't change that fact. But for all that, he thought it was worth the risk.

He hoped.

Some part of him still worried that giving Keith a taste of what he couldn't have normally would just be cruel, which was another reason why he decided to ask him in the end. If Keith said no, that would be the end of it.

On the day of his birthday, Shiro had told him that his present would be coming soon, and that it was something that he would need to discuss with him. Keith seemed interested, and more than a little curious, spending the rest of the day bothering Shiro about it. He'd held his silence though, wanting to talk to him about it in private.

He'd discussed the plan with both Sam and Matt and they had both signed off on it. The more people involved, the less chance there was something could go wrong. Even then, there were certain risks they would be taking.

Mostly because the entire plan involved sneaking Keith into the Galaxy Garrison.

Keith, as expected, took an interest in the idea right away- sneaking into the Galaxy Garrison to give him a chance to try out the flight simulator. He had relatively free access to it, so it wasn't as if he was entirely breaking the rules, except- yeah, he guessed he sort of was.

Bringing an unauthorized individual onto Garrison property? Definitely a violation of the rules.

But there was also an allowance for family members, which Keith was in everything but name, so eh. He'd overlook it.

Besides, Keith deserved this.

"It'd be over a holiday," Shiro told him, "-so pretty much everyone except for the janitorial staff and a handful of cadets from overseas will be gone."

Frowning, Keith's brows furrowed together, clearly debating the idea. When he mentioned sneaking him into the flight simulator, there had been a sparkle to his eyes, but once the initial moment of excitement had passed, he grew more thoughtful, clearly weighing the pros and cons for himself.

Over the course of the past year, he had left the desert a handful of times. Each time had been to visit the Holts at their house- he had even made plans to visit them around Christmas, and to spend the night there for a change- on top of that, by himself. It was a big step for him, and one that he was still clearly nervous about, but as of yet, hadn't changed his mind about.

Keith's fear of the outside world, once so strong, had started to slowly wane. There were people out there that he could trust- that would look out for him. Maybe there were bad people out there, who wanted to hurt him, but there were also good people too, who wouldn't look at him any differently for not being like them.

Shiro didn't think Keith's father had meant to harm him when he'd impressed the fear upon him. His fears came from a very valid place, he wasn't about to deny that. But it had left lasting repercussions, and undoing them was a job in and of itself.

Not that Shiro wanted to do away with it entirely- in this case, some measure of fear was probably a good thing.

"So nobody will see me?" Keith asked.

"I don't know about _nobody_ ," Shiro told him, deciding that being frank was the way to go here, "-but this will definitely minimize the chances significantly."

Years ago, Keith would have rejected the offer out of hand. No matter how badly he wanted to be a pilot, it wouldn't have been worth it.

But now? Keith considered it.

"I want to try." Keith told him, locking eyes with him- and there was a determination in that gaze, one that he couldn't help but be proud of. "I trust you, Shiro."

Beaming, Shiro ruffled his hair, ignoring Keith's now very active protest to the action. He couldn't fool him though, he knew he liked it. All this was, was just a bit of old fashioned teenage rebellion.

Thank god he hadn't shown _too_ many other signs of that. What would teenager rebellion for Keith even entail? Frankly, Shiro did not want to find out- everything he read about it sounded traumatizing, to say the least, and if he could get out of Keith's teenage years without having to deal with it, then that would be fantastic, thank you.

...god, he really did sound like a dad. How had that even happened?

"Glad to hear it, kiddo." Shiro told him. "I'll tell Sam and Matt. You've been reading over the simulator manual he gave you, right?"

Yep, Keith was most definitely a teenager now. Even without any visible pupils, that was every inch the look one would give when asked a stupid question. "Right. Of course you have. Not even sure why I asked."

"It's like you don't even know me at all, Shiro." Keith told him with a hint of a grin, before it faltered, changing into something more hesitant. "But are you sure about this? Won't you get into trouble if they find out you snuck someone in?"

"Maybe a little." Shiro said, giving him a shrug. "But you deserve this, Keith. I'm just sorry we have to sneak you in at all."

"Don't be." Keith told him. "It's not like you can change the fact that I'm purple."

No, he really couldn't. Wishing very hard hadn't worked out, and he was pretty sure Keith had already tried that himself. Without knowing the reason why he had turned purple in the first place, they probably would never be able to reverse it.

Keith's father was probably the only person who knew, if anyone did. He'd searched the house high and low for a journal, but hadn't found anything like that. There was a chance that Keith might be hiding it- but he got the feeling that if there was anything in there that was relevant to his transformation, he probably would have told Sam about it already.

Keith himself was unlikely to remember- he'd been all of three years old when it had happened. Shiro considered himself as having a pretty good memory, but even he had couldn't really remember anything that far back.

"I still mean what I said, by the way." Shiro added. "If you ever want to go public, I'm behind you, Keith. Not just me- the Holts, too."

Keith merely gave him a strained smile, one that pained him to see. However much confidence he had gained over the past years, it wasn't enough for Keith to just set aside all of his fears, and throw caution completely to the wind. But as he'd gotten older, he'd gotten better at burying his feelings- and he was already pretty good at it.

"I'll keep it in mind."

* * *

"Love the new look, Keith." Matt joked, an impish grin set on the sixteen year old's features. "Going for suspicious chic?"

From behind his sunglasses, Keith glowered at Matt- and then at _him_ , because though he tried to hold it back, Shiro couldn't help but get a chuckle out of it, because Matt did kind of have a point.

"You _may_ have gone a bit overboard." Shiro admitted.

The hoodie was fine, and so were the sunglasses- but the gloves and the gauze mask? He even had dug out a knit cap from somewhere, one that he definitely hadn't bought for him. Combined with the old belt, coupled with his mother's knife, he looked more like he was about ready to rob a bank, rather than try out a flight simulator.

Folding his arms in front of him, Keith grumbled. "Look, I'm just being cautious, okay?"

Getting Keith into the Galaxy Garrison hadn't proved to be that difficult. Considering he'd done it in a total panic once, he didn't expect it to be _that_ big of a challenge. It was keeping him under the radar once there that would be the trick. But as bundled up as he was, it would be pretty hard to tell with a passing glance that his skin was a strange color.

Matt and Sam were waiting to greet them, but the latter had gone on ahead to set up the simulator, marking the room as off limits, just in case any cadets came by that wanted to practice. Although they had single pilot simulators too, Shiro thought it would be best to start off with a group simulation- let Keith get the feeling of things, let him have some backup.

"Fair enough." Shiro told him. "We made sure to switch off the cameras in the simulator, though."

"Great, because this is actually kind of stuffy." Keith admitted.

"So even our beloved local desert cryptid gets hot sometimes?" Matt asked.

"I'm not a cryptid." Keith grumbled, and though he couldn't see it, Shiro was one hundred percent sure he was frowning underneath the mask. "And I'm not _hot_ , it's just stuffy."

"Keith, you live alone in the middle of the desert, and you're part alien." Matt told him. "If you're not a cryptid, what is?"

"Cryptids have to have sightings." Keith pointed out. "I don't."

Frowning, Matt tilted his head. "Huh. You're right. Think it's too late for a few blurry photographs?"

It was a clear joke, but even a year ago, Keith might have not taken it as one. Now, he merely let out a faint laugh, taking it as it was meant. "I'll pass."

"Suit yourself." Matt said with a shrug. "So, you ready for your first big flight?"

"It's just a simulation, Matt." Keith told him. "It's not like I'll actually be leaving the ground."

"They can get pretty real, so if you start feeling sick, tell us, Keith." Shiro told him, to which he gave him a curt nod of his head. "We'll be starting off on the easy level. We've got maybe about two, three hours of time, so let's just see how far you'll get today."

"Today?" Keith asked, coming to a halt. "We can do this again?"

"If the chance comes up." Shiro told him. "If you want to."

"I do." Keith said quickly.

"You haven't even _tried_ it yet." Matt pointed out.

Shooting him a glower, Keith's brows drew together. "Shut up."

"Come on you two, you're going to have to work as a team today." Shiro told them, placing a hand on their shoulders. "Matt, you're our engineer. I'll be your communications officer. Remember Keith, if you feel like you're in a bind, we're both here to help you. This is a team effort."

"If you've got any questions, just ask!" Matt grinned. "Maybe we should dig out a cadet uniform for you, get you the full experience?"

"Pass." Keith told him. "Pretty sure I'd look lousy in orange."

"I think _most_ people look lousy in orange." Shiro observed. "Not that the gray uniforms are much better. I'm starting to think the Galaxy Garrison needs to hire someone else to design their uniforms."

The idle chatter helped put Keith more at ease, Shiro sensed, faintly smiling at the pair of teens walking in front of him. Even if he was clad from head to toe, doing everything he could to conceal himself, there was still something about seeing Keith in the halls of the Galaxy Garrison, chatting so normally with Matt that felt right. This was how it should be, he knew.

At least he could give him this.

When they entered the simulation room, he didn't even need to see Keith's face to know that his eyes had gone wide. Hearing about it was one thing, but actually seeing it- that was something else. Watching as Keith turned on his heel, taking in every inch of the room, he paused, spotting Sam up in one of the windows that surrounded the circular room.

The man caught his eye, giving him a smile and a wave. Lifting a hand, Keith waved back.

"Watch your head going into the simulator." Shiro told him. "Entry's a little on the low side."

Nodding his head, Keith only had to duck a little to get inside. He'd seen his fair share of cadets hit their head on it, though thankfully, he'd never been one of them.

Once inside, Keith lowered his hood, unzipping his hoodie. Taking off the gauze mask, he shoved it in one of his pockets, before taking off his sunglasses. The simulator was dark enough that his eyes faintly glowed- and within the climate controlled confines of the Galaxy Garrison, his third eyelid receded, leaving his pupils visible.

"I can hold on to those if you want." Shiro told him, holding out his hand.

Glancing back towards him, Keith blinked, before he passed the sunglasses over to him. Smiling, Shiro tucked the sunglasses away. Yanking off his cap, Keith shook out his hair, before shoving it in one of his belt pouches.

"Alright, places everyone." Shiro told them, already making himself comfortable in the communications officer's chair. It had been ages since he'd been in one of the simulators, and he couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic for his own cadet days.

Had it really been that long? It felt like it was just yesterday, sometimes.

Granted, he'd never sat in the communications chair- he'd always been in the pilot seat. But he knew what their role was, and felt confident he could carry it out.

Watching as Matt plopped down in the engineer's chair, Keith took a little longer to take the pilot's seat, as if he wanted to take in every inch of the simulator first. He couldn't blame him- right now, he was in a place he likely thought he'd never be, even if it was only just for a short while.

"Remember Keith," Shiro told him, "-this is just a simulator, so if you crash, it's fine."

"Who says I'm going to crash?" Keith asked, frowning as he took a seat in the pilot's chair.

"Even I crashed my first time." Shiro told him. "It's a learning curve."

"M'not going to crash." Keith grumbled, half to himself, buckling himself in.

Faintly laughing, Shiro did the same, watching out of the corner of his eye as Matt also did. Picking up the radio, he looked back to Keith. "You ready?"

Nodding his head, Keith gripped the controls, taking in and letting out a long breath. Though it was hard to see from this angle, he could tell that he was smiling, the soft one that so often found Shiro doing the same. "Yeah. Let's do this."

"Okay. Sam," he said, radioing out to the professor, "-let's start her up."

* * *

Keith crashed the first time.

He didn't, however, crash the second time, though Shiro was pretty sure the only thing keeping him from doing so was sheer willpower, mixed with spite. Mostly spite. Matt's jovial laughter after their first attempted simulation ended in failure probably goaded him along, but while he had grumbled, even _growled_ at his friend, it was clear that he bore him no lasting ill will.

Getting Keith in the simulator confirmed what he already knew- that he was a natural. It was clear, right from the first simulation, how much Keith loved flying- so getting the chance to, even if it was just pretend, carried over into everything he did, every move he made.

To say that it was infectious was an understatement.

Shiro couldn't recall the last time he'd been _thrilled_ to be in the simulator. But now? With Keith at the helm, beaming brightly as he got to live his dream, at least for a short while? It was as if everything had been made new again, pulling him back to when he'd stepped inside the simulator for the first time as a young cadet.

It reminded him why he loved being a pilot so much in the first place.

They were able to get about eight simulations done in the three hours that they had. There were some close calls here and there, but Keith only crashed that one time- he was learning from his mistakes, readily applying them during his next run, sometimes even within the same one.

Reflexes, eyesight- Keith's were better than the average human's, and it showed here more than ever. As a pilot, they would be skills that would serve him well, allow him to rise quickly in the ranks. He'd make fighter class in no time were he a cadet, Shiro found himself thinking.

It was clear that he loved this- loved it so much, that it hurt.

By the end of the eighth and final simulation, Shiro had half a mind to storm into Iverson's office and demand that he accept Keith. Legally dead? Purple? Clawed? Irrelevant. _He's my brother_ , he would tell him, _he's my brother, and if you don't accept him right now, as he is, no questions asked, I'll quit_.

But Keith would never forgive him if he quit, so he swallowed the urge.

It said a lot about Keith, he thought, that he was so supportive of the dreams of others, even when he couldn't achieve his own. He might get jealous, yes, but he never let it rule him- he was, without question, a good person.

From the start, he never had anything to fear from his mother's heritage. He couldn't say what these _Galra_ were like, nor what they had done to make them so dreaded, but whatever it was, it had nothing to do with Keith. He might share blood with them, but that was it.

"I'm gonna be honest," Matt was the first one to break the silence that had settled over them, after their last run, "-that was way more fun than I've ever had in the simulator."

"I gotta admit, I feel the same way." Shiro said, glancing over towards Keith. "You did great, Keith. I knew you would."

Keith stayed silent- and though there was a touch of melancholy to it, it was the good kind of silent. Unbuckling himself, he rose to his feet, clawed hand tracing the edge of the pilot's seat as he did so.

"I-" Keith began, "-thanks, Shiro. This was- it was great."

"Hey," unbuckling himself, Shiro got to his feet, crossing the distance between them, "-you're like a brother to me, Keith. This is the least I could for you."

Startled, Keith looked up at him. Come to think of it, this was the first time he had expressed that sentiment out loud- but judging from the smile it earned him, he should have said it a lot sooner.

"You're like a brother to me too, Shiro." Keith told him.

"Really?" Matt chimed in, causing them both to jump- he'd sort of forgotten he was here. "Because if you ask me, Shiro's more like your dad."

Giving him an incredulous look, Keith furrowed his brow. "Shiro's too young to be my dad."

"Nope, totally your dad." Matt said with a shrug. "Face it, Shiro. You're father material."

"Nope, not gonna do that."

* * *

Christmas of that year was celebrated with the Holts, and with Keith.

It had been that way last year, but last year, they had all gone out to the shack to celebrate with Keith. Sam had even brought in a big Christmas tree from town, and Shiro had found those lights Keith had mentioned, way back when.

This year, they would be celebrating it at the Holt's house. _All_ of them.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little nervous, walking up to the house. Keith had spent Christmas Eve sleeping over, his very first time doing anything like that. Before, whenever he had left the desert, he'd always gone back by the end of the day.

And he'd done it without him this time.

It felt... strangely _lonely_ , actually. But at the same time, he knew it was a good thing. Keith couldn't be dependent on him forever.

Which wasn't entirely fair to Keith- he was more independent than any teenager his age should ever have cause to be. But in some regards, at least, he was very dependent on him, and if he could get past that stage, then that could only be a good thing.

And if he had been so nervous, that he'd had trouble sleeping the previous night... well, that was his little secret.

Knocking on the door to the Holt house, Shiro shifted on his feet. All the curtains were drawn, as they always were whenever Keith paid a visit, but he could hear people moving inside. Before long, Colleen came to the door, smiling up at him.

"So good to see you again, Shiro." She told him. "Please, come in."

No sooner had the door shut behind him, did Keith manifest from deeper in the house. His hair was still damp, a good sign that he had gotten out of the shower not long ago, his feet bare as he came up to him. Casting a glance towards the side, he spotted Keith's boots in the doorway, before turning his full attention back on the half-alien teen.

"Keith," Shiro spoke, gaze flickering up towards his hair, "-looks like you slept in."

"More like I was the last one in line for the bathroom." Keith told him, tugging at his damp forelock. He tended to let his grow long, but from the looks of things, it was probably getting close to the time for a bit of a trim.

"Well you know what they say. You snooze, you lose." Shiro told him. "How was your Christmas Eve?"

"Great." Keith told him, his answer completely honest. "Katie's been teaching me about video games."

"Yeah?" Shiro asked. "How goes it?"

"Let's just say the controllers aren't necessarily designed with _claws_ in mind." Keith told him, holding up his hands.

"That bad, huh?" Shiro laughed.

"That bad." Keith repeated. "I can show Shiro to the living room, Mrs. Holt."

Flashing him a grateful smile, Colleen nodded her head. "Thank you, Keith. Tell everyone breakfast will be finished in a few. And if I catch Matt having so much as cracked open one present before breakfast is over, he'll have to wait until tomorrow to unwrap any of his."

"I'll be sure to tell him." Keith told her. "Come on, Shiro."

Letting Keith lead him into the living room, he smiled as he exchanged greetings with the rest of the Holy family, laughing as Matt winced at his mother's warning, taking it to heart. Taking a seat, he watched with a fond smile as Katie and Matt flanked Keith on either side, huddling around him, likely continuing a conversation that he had interrupted when he'd shown up.

Maybe visually, Keith stuck out like a sore thumb, but in every other respect, he blended right in. He was at ease here, Shiro realized- such a sharp contrast from just a year ago, when he had been so nervous, fidgeting with whatever he could find to help calm himself down.

Keith living with the Holts wasn't something that was on the table, he knew. It only took a look at the drawn curtains to know why. He'd be confined to the house until it got dark enough, and even then, he'd only be able to go out into the backyard. The desert might be harsh, but at least he had the freedom to come and go as he pleased.

Keith could handle isolation. What he couldn't handle was confinement.

Nobody would ask him to.

Christmas morning was a pleasant affair- Colleen's breakfast was nothing if not delicious, and the exchange of presents had been fun. Keith, to his surprise, had apparently picked up carving at some point- not with wood, but with _rock_ , which he guessed would have qualified more as sculpting, were it not for the fact that he carried it out exactly was one would carving.

Whatever that knife of his was made out of, it was one hell of a material. He was able to use it to carve through solid rock, without so much as leaving a single chip in the blade- it looked just as clean and polished as it always did.

He asked Keith about it later, and he'd just shrugged and earnestly told him that he didn't know. His mother had never mentioned to his father what the knife was made of, just that it was a symbol of the group that she worked for. _Ceremonial_ , he recalled.

Curiously, all the carvings were lions. Only his and Katie's had been painted- he wasn't even sure where Keith had gotten paint, but the small lion he'd been given had been painted black, while Katie's was a vivid green. When he'd asked about it, Keith just shrugged, telling him that it felt right.

From there, he wasn't sure how the topic got to snow, but it had.

"I've never seen it."

Keith's admission had garnered surprise- even though it made perfect sense. He'd lived in the desert practically all his life, snow was just one of those things that he wasn't likely to have experienced. What was more surprising was the note of _longing_ in his voice- he'd never seen snow, but clearly, part of him wanted to.

"We could make fake snow." Katie suggested. "I mean, it wouldn't be the same, but we've got the ingredients for it here."

Perking up at that, Keith took to the suggestion right away. "We can do that?"

"Yeah, we did it in science class the other day." Katie told him. "You use baking soda and water. If we freeze it in the cooler, I bet we can even make it cold."

Which was how they found themselves in the kitchen, clustering around a large cooler. If Keith was this fascinated by the fake stuff, Shiro couldn't help but wonder how he'd react to seeing the real thing.

He kind of wished he could show it to him.

"You know," Sam spoke up, as if reading his mind, "-my cousin has a house up north, in the mountains. Don't think he'd mind lending it out for a week or so."

Glancing up, Keith frowned, taking a second to determine what he meant. As friendly as he had gotten with the Holts, apparently the invitation to go on vacation with them was enough to floor him. "Are you- are you saying you'd bring _me_?"

"If you want." Sam told him. "Wouldn't be a problem at all. Pretty isolated up there."

"Oh, and in summer, you could come with us to the lake house!" Katie chimed in. "We could teach you how to swim!"

Blinking, Keith frowned. "I don't know. I've never- I've never really left the desert before. I'm not sure it would be a good idea."

"Why not?" Matt asked. "The lake house is pretty remote too. We're the only house for miles around. It'd be fun having you around."

Frowning, Keith glanced down, made more obvious by the visible presence of his pupils. If the question had been breached earlier, he probably wouldn't have even considered it- but things were starting to change. "I'll think about it."

This time, Shiro sensed, he meant it.

* * *

Keith decided against going to the mountains. But the lake house?

Well, that was a different story.

"You're _sure_ you have everything, right?" Shiro asked.

He was pretty certain that Keith rolled his eyes, but they hadn't left the desert yet, so he couldn't be entirely sure. "Shiro, we've been over this already. I've got everything."

"Okay, just making sure." Shiro told him, holding up his hands. "This is your first big trip, I just want to make sure you haven't left anything behind."

"I survived for four years in the desert by myself, I think I can handle it if I forget my toothbrush." Keith pointed out. "Matt was right, you do act like a dad sometimes."

Nearly choking, it only took one look at the grin on Keith's face to know that he was joking. He was _clearly_ going to have to talk to Matt about what he was doing to Keith's sense of humor. Granted, he'd started to take after his own dry sense of humor too, but that was fine, nothing wrong with that.

Being called a dad at only twenty two? Nope, not going to have that.

"Alright, but don't blame me if you forgot something." Shiro told him, pushing it aside.

Sam had rented a camper for the trip. There would be six of them going, so they needed the extra space. He had reassured him that he'd driven one before, so there was nothing to worry about, and it was the best way to transport Keith across state lines while also keeping him comfortable.

They would both keep an eye out for him, just in case he started to show any negative effects from leaving the desert. The last thing they wanted to do was risk his health, and if it got too much, they would turn around and head back. This was something that they had discussed with him beforehand, and Keith had nodded, taking it to heart.

 _Be honest if you're not feeling well_ , they told him, very firmly. He'd promised to do so, but Keith being Keith, it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on him.

The drive to the lake house turned out to be a pleasant one. Sam had meant what he said, he had experience with this. Keith got a bit fidgety after awhile, not used to being in a confined space for so long, but Katie quickly distracted him with one of the handheld games that she had brought along, plopping down in his lap and playing it with him. He rested his chin on top of her head, contributing terrible names for the colorful creatures she caught in her game.

("You should name it Yorak." Keith told her, a private smile on his face that would only make sense to him _much_ later.)

Every so often, Keith would take a chance on peering out the window, but it wasn't until they arrived, that he actually dared to get out. When they had stopped for lunch, Matt had brought his food back into the camper with him, giving Keith what he was pretty sure was his first taste of fast food.

(The burger was disgusting, he reported, even as he finished it anyways- but he liked the fries.)

"Okay," Sam said, looking back at everyone, "-we're here."

It was still light out when they arrived, and even though he had been assured the lake house was isolated, Keith still pulled up his hood, tugged on his gloves. The fingerless ones this time, Shiro noted, not the full length ones he had worn to sneak into the Garrison.

They had done it one other time since then, this time letting Keith try out one of the single pilot simulators. He'd had just as much of a good time then as he had the first time, if not more so. His sixth run in, he'd broken a record, and it pained Shiro to have to erase it after the fact.

Getting out, Keith sniffed the air out of habit, pivoting sharply on his heel. Even under the shadow of his hood, Shiro could tell that his eyes had gone wide, mouth dropping open.

He'd never seen a lake before.

Heck, he was pretty sure Keith had never so much as seen a _swimming pool_ before, so a lake- a lake was something else. Enough for him to throw caution to the wind, and run towards it, leaving him to trail behind just in case he decided to throw himself in it for some reason.

Thankfully, he didn't, Keith had more sense than that, stopping just short of the lake's edge. Crouching down in front of it, he dipped his hand in, before quickly drawing it out, alarmed. Probably hadn't expected it to be cold.

Come to think of it, _did_ Keith have any experience with cold water? The shack had running water only in the most technical of senses- it all came from a cistern, one that had to be refilled every few months. By the time it came out, it was almost always lukewarm.

He never seemed to run out- it was like Keith had some kind of sixth sense for where to find water. He'd bring it out of the desert in jugs, but Shiro never knew where any of it came from. Sometimes he'd bring a few himself, purchased from the local grocery store, which Keith would store to use as drinking water for anyone who came to visit.

He should bring this up to Sam, he thought. Maybe teaching Keith to swim would have to wait. Plunging him headfirst into even moderately cold water somehow didn't sound like the best idea.

Sticking his hand into the water again, a shudder ran down Keith's spine, confirming Shiro's suspicions. He kept it in though, peering curiously down at the tiny fish that came to investigate his fingertips, only to dart away when they felt his eyes on them, as if they had sensed a predator.

Keith, doing nothing to help that impression, licked his lips.

"So," breaking the quiet, Shiro hovered behind him, "-glad you gave leaving the desert a chance?"

Glancing up at him, his pupils visible, Keith rose to his feet. His gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, before he looked out across the lake, drinking in every little thing that fell within his line of vision.

"Don't know yet."

* * *

In the week that they stayed at the lake house, Keith never once seemed bored.

Probably because everything around him was so new to him- there was the lake itself, of course, but the forest that surrounded the house and the wildlife that lived there was all new to him as well. He spent an entire hour doing nothing but watching a pair of deer- not as a predator watches their prey, as Shiro had initially thought, but as a curious child, seeing something new for the first time.

There was plenty around the lake house for Keith to do- or not do, as it sometimes turned out. He didn't sleep half as much as he used to when he was a child, but if they found Keith dozing in sunny patches on the upper patio that wrapped around the house, nobody said much of anything.

(Matt and Katie would, however, privately snicker about him being a giant purple cat.)

Sam taught him how to fish, taking him out to the dock. Keith had taken to it, but it had gone predictably the way Shiro thought it would. He hadn't seen Keith bite the heads off of any more lizards since that one time, but he was apparently still doing that sort of thing, because his first instinct upon unhooking his first fish was to do exactly that.

It gave both Sam and Matt a second of pause, before Keith noticed, glancing down at them, then the fish, then promptly realizing he wasn't supposed to do that. At which point, his first instinct was to chuck the half eaten fish back into the lake in a panic, which somehow crossed the line from morbid to hilarious, Matt barely able to keep it together after that.

Keith managed to restrain his instincts after that, and it didn't come up again. By this point, everyone knew that Keith's alien blood was more than skin deep, showing itself in little quirks and habits that normal humans didn't have, but no one was about to judge him for it. Even if that meant biting the heads off of fish.

Certainly not him. Maybe they were a little more... _sophisticated_ about it, he'd like to think, but his own culture consumed plenty of raw fish.

Sam was right- humidity threw Keith for a loop. It was a good thing they were watching him closely for any signs that something was off, because otherwise, they were almost certain he would have passed out from dehydration. The water that he could go without in the desert so easily got sweated out of him before he knew it when it was humid out, which meant he had to drink more than he was used to to replenish it.

Otherwise... he seemed okay.

Mostly, he just enjoyed himself. After his third day there, he was confident enough to leave the house without his hood up, and by the fourth, he took the hoodie off, wearing it tied around his waist instead.

He never did learn to swim- Shiro had discussed the topic with Sam, and they had both decided that gradually getting him used to cold water was better than all but throwing him right into it. Keith would wade out into the lake a little past his ankles, and that appeared to be his limit.

He was _fascinated_ by the lake, though.

Sometimes he would squat where he stood, staying there for hours, watching the tiny fish come and go. He got into a very engaging discussion with Matt about lake monsters during one such time, which turned into a heated debate as to whether or not the Loch Ness Monster was actually real- Keith said _no_ , and Matt said _yes_.

Matt, apparently, was flabbergasted that Keith had the nerve to deny _any_ cryptid was real, on account that he was one. Keith still firmly denied being one.

("They're like your kindred, Keith!" Matt had insisted, to which Keith had snorted.)

But most importantly- or most importantly to _Shiro_ , at least- Keith would smile and laugh, confident and not hiding away. Bit by bit, his fear of the world outside the desert was going away, and he was starting to slowly embrace the idea that maybe, just _maybe_ , he could have _some_ kind of existence outside of it.

In public? No.

In private, secure with people he knew? Yes.

It was on the evening of the last day that Shiro found him, perched on the roof of the lake house. He didn't dare go out there himself, certain that one wrong step and he'd fall and break his neck, so he hung back by the window, able to see Keith just fine from here.

"So," Shiro began, "-glad you gave leaving the desert a chance?"

Keith didn't look at him, instead turning his gaze to the stars. Somewhere, Shiro thought, turning his own gaze skyward as well- somewhere out there, was Keith's mother. He knew next to nothing about her, not even her name, but he got the feeling if she saw him now, she would be proud of how much he had grown.

"Yeah." Keith's voice was soft, but content. "I am."

Smiling, Shiro lowered his gaze. "Mountains next?"

Peering back at him, Keith gave him a small smile. "Maybe."

And that, Shiro thought, was exactly what he wanted to hear.

* * *

It's when they get back, that Shiro is summoned to Commander Iverson's office.

It made him feel a bit like a cadet again, like he'd done something wrong, even though he knows that he hasn't. No, this was related to work.

"You've been selected," Iverson began, without any kind of preamble, "-to pilot the Kerberos mission."


	7. sixteen

Hello all, I'm back with a new update! As well as the knowledge that somewhere, in an alternate universe, Shiro had to explain to his boyfriend that he's taking care of a purple half-alien child that lives out in the desert. Shame it's way too late to retcon Adam in, though it's also way too early to actually write the dude. Anyways, who is looking forward to season 7? I am!

Until next time!

And oh boy. Next time.

* * *

 **desert born**

 **sixteen**

* * *

"Do it."

And that's what he thought Keith would say.

"This is the chance of a lifetime, Shiro!" Keith told him, voice insistent. " _Kerberos_! You'd be making history!"

"I'd be gone for nearly a year." Shiro reminded him, just on the off chance it had slipped his mind. "It wouldn't just be me, either. Sam's on the mission too."

"Shiro," Keith insisted again, "-you _have_ to go. I'm not going to let you miss this chance because of me. I mean, they picked you because you're the best, right?"

"Well, I don't know about the _best_ -" Shiro began.

"You are." Keith cut him off. "We all know that. They wouldn't pick just anyone for this. It _has_ to be you."

No, it didn't, Shiro wanted to argue. There were plenty of other capable pilots at the Galaxy Garrison that they could have chosen. He hadn't been chosen on talent alone- he'd been picked because the Garrison assumed that he could afford to spend the year up in space, away from friends and family.

But the Garrison didn't know about Keith.

Leaving for Mars was one thing- he was back within a month, each time. But if he left for Kerberos, an entire year would pass without him- he'd miss Keith's eighteenth birthday. He'd only _barely_ avoid missing his seventeenth- the launch was scheduled for the first of November of next year, should everything go according to plan.

And it wouldn't be _just_ him. Sam was the commanding officer, and there was some talk about recruiting Matt as the third crew member, come graduation. He'd done well for himself at the Garrison, and was on an accelerated track, set to graduate next spring. If he came with them, that would leave just Colleen and Katie.

Keith was right- they were going to be making history. But making history didn't come without its hazards, and no matter how skilled a pilot he was, no matter that Sam had had a large part in building the craft they would be using, it didn't change the fact that the mission would be a risky one.

If something happened, nobody would be able to come to their rescue.

He wasn't going to lie, some part of him wanted to accept this mission. Kerberos would be farther than any other human had gone- so to get a chance to do it, it was like a dream come true. Even if there _were_ aliens out there who could travel that distance in the blink of an eye, it didn't change the fact that it would be a milestone for humanity.

But he'd also promised Keith that he wouldn't leave him alone. There were always risks with space travel, but this time, he couldn't decide if the risks were worth it or not.

"Shiro," Keith told him, "-I'll be fine. I'm not a little kid anymore. And I handled myself just fine even when I was."

Sure, that was true. Keith was infinitely capable of taking care of himself. That didn't mean that he wasn't allowed to worry about him. That was what family was all about- worrying and caring for one another.

"You know that if something happens up there, rescuing us isn't an option." Shiro told him, his voice grave. He wanted to make sure that Keith understood the choice he was making- because if he changed his mind, said no, then Shiro would stay. That was all it would take.

Maybe he'd be passing up the chance of a lifetime, but his promise to Keith was worth more.

"Nothing is going to happen to you, Shiro." Keith told him, folding his arms in front of him.

"Keith-" Shiro began, only for Keith to cut him off again.

"Shiro." Keith's tone was stern- and for a moment, he felt like _he_ was the younger one, as opposed to being the older. "You have a chance to do something incredible. I can't hold you back from that."

"You wouldn't be-"

"I would!" Keith told him, locking eyes with him. "I would, and I don't want that. Maybe I can't be a pilot, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop you from doing what I can't. _Go_."

Closing his eyes, Shiro let out a long breath. Keith was right. If he passed this up, he might never get this chance again. He didn't want to make Keith live with the knowledge that he had ruined his chances, not when he made it clear that he didn't want his own inability to achieve his dream to get in the way of anyone else doing it.

He was a good kid. A _damn_ good kid. Sometimes Shiro wondered what he'd done to deserve him.

(Nearly cracked his head open in the middle of the desert, that's what. Seemed like a fair tradeoff.)

"Okay." Opening his eyes, Shiro smiled at him. "I'll accept the mission."

Keith lit up at that, beaming almost from ear to ear. He didn't smile like that often, especially not since he had gotten older, but when he did, Shiro cherished it. "In exchange, you have to be sure to tell me _everything_ when you get back."

"Cross my heart." Shiro told him, returning his smile with one of his own. It was impossible not to. "I'll talk until you're sick of it."

Clearly satisfied with that, Keith nodded his head. "I'll hold you to it."

* * *

He ended up with plenty to tell Keith before he even left the ground.

Preparation for the Kerberos mission was intense, as expected. He'd never gone through so many tests and simulations in his life, and that _included_ when he was a cadet. Keith hung on every word of it, fascinated by every little detail, no matter how boring or mundane.

Sam, in _clear_ defiance of Garrison protocols, snuck Keith a copy of the blueprints for the shuttle they'd be using. It was the one that he had talked about, back when he'd first brought Keith out of the desert for Thanksgiving. He'd been a prime driving force in building it, and confessed that he'd taken a few techniques from the alien tech he'd found in Keith's father's hoverbike.

It was Keith's now. Shiro had cleared him to fly it on his own. He bought him a new helmet for his sixteenth birthday- red and white, to match the bike. It had the option to tint the visor, turning it dark so that no one could see his face.

It meant Keith could go father out into the desert than he would dare to otherwise. Skirt by human civilization, maybe do a bit of people watching from a safe distance. His fear of the outside world was waning, if not still present- he had chanced going into a convenience store on the fringes of town in the middle of the night once, by himself, and had promptly spent the next two weeks paranoid that someone would find him.

Which didn't happen.

Shiro hadn't been there, but he was pretty sure that any convenience store clerk working the 3 AM shift had seen weirder shit than a lanky teenager in a full helmet and gloves purchasing a disconcerting amount of chocolate and iced coffee mixes. Hell, Keith could have shown up purple as could be, and he was willing to bet they wouldn't have so much as blinked.

(His cousin worked at a convenience store during the night shift. He could attest to that fact.)

He'd just been more concerned where Keith had gotten the money from- until he cracked open a tin that had been hidden under his bed, revealing literal fistfuls of twenty and fifty dollar bills. Based on what he knew about his father, it should not surprise him at all to know that he kept his money stashed away in a tin under his son's bed.

It also showed him that in spite of knowing Keith for six, nearly seven, years now, the kid was still full of surprises.

Keith, in the meantime, ate up every word they had to tell him about Kerberos, about the shuttle, about the prep, and about the mission itself. Shiro didn't think _anyone_ could get that excited about ice samples- but clearly, he was wrong.

It was kind of funny, really. Part of the reason they were being sent out there was to gather proof of life outside of Earth. Little did the Garrison know that _proof_ was living twenty miles out from them. That _proof_ was hidden in a cave, or stuck in the engine of a custom hoverbike.

It _nearly_ made the whole mission null and void, except not really. There was merit to testing a long distance shuttle, to the techniques that had been used to building it. It could advance space travel immensely, making the speculated civilian lunar colony less of a dream, and more of a reality.

Part of him wondered if expanding too fast, too quickly would attract the attention of the Galra. Keith hadn't said a word about them since that day he'd showed him the ships, but sometimes he could catch the edge of worry in Keith's eyes, when he thought no one was looking. Clearly it was on his mind too.

Somewhere out there, there were hostile aliens.

But if they were over by Kerberos, then their probes would have picked them up long ago. Whatever interest they had in Earth, it had probably been in passing, since he was pretty sure Keith would have mentioned if there had been more than one group of scouts. So odds were, it was probably safe.

It was cemented in the early phases that Matt would be going with them- and once again, Keith had gotten excited. They had thrown a party that weekend- at Keith's place, a late autumn barbecue, complete with a grill that Sam had dug out of storage, and Shiro had hauled over to the shack.

Keith had been cheerful the entire time, but once again, when he thought no one was looking at him, his face fell.

He didn't want them to leave.

It touched him- that they had such a place in Keith's life now. _All_ of them, not just him. And while it wasn't like he would be totally alone- Katie and Colleen would still be here- his small family of five would be down to just two. For someone who had thought that he'd never get the chance to have something like that again, it must have been incredibly lonely.

Preparation for Kerberos ate up quite a bit of his spare time these days- and there was one other thing that he had to take care of before he left. Better to get it out of the way now, rather than later, when his schedule would be even more jam packed.

Visiting home.

"I'll be back in two weeks." Shiro told Keith. "Anything you want me to pick you up?"

In truth, he already had a short list of souvenirs he was planning to bring back- mostly for Keith, but some for Matt and Katie as well. But if there was something Keith wanted, he wanted to hear it from him.

"Can you send postcards?" Keith asked. "I've never seen Japan before."

"I can do that." Shiro told him. "I promised Katie I'd keep her updated, so I'll probably send her photos and stuff like that. She can probably put them on a flash drive for you, if you want."

They had salvaged a laptop for Keith- a project of Katie's, put together from spare parts. It wasn't anything fancy, but it wasn't like Keith even got Internet out here, so the most he ever used it for was storing photographs, a few games, some DVD's, and taking notes. He liked the idea of them being protected by a password only he knew, though Shiro didn't have the heart to tell him Katie could probably crack it in no time flat.

No cellphone- Keith didn't like the idea of them, and again, no phone service.

"I want to see a racoon dog." Keith told him.

"I'll see what I can do." Shiro said, wondering where he had learned about that. He'd lost track of the number of books he'd brought Keith from the library at this point. "Any other requests?"

Shaking his head, Keith frowned. "Can't think of anything."

Nodding his head, Shiro made a mental note to not spare anything when it came to photos. Taking Keith back to his home country was out of the question, so the least he could do was show as much of it as he could via pictures. Maybe buy a photo book or two.

" _Tanuki_ it is then." Shiro told him.

"And postcards." Keith added.

" _And_ postcards." Shiro echoed, faint smile on his lips. "I'll send them by way of Sam. That okay?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Keith said. "Make sure to tell me everything."

"Sounds like you're just as interested in it as you are space." Shiro noted.

Shrugging his shoulders, Keith shoved his hands into his pockets. When he spoke, there was a certain bitterness in his voice. "I mean- yeah. There's a whole vast world out there, and I barely get to see any of it."

"Well if it's any consolation, I think that's actually pretty normal." Shiro reassured him. "My flight leaves tomorrow morning, but if you need to get in touch with me, Sam knows how."

Nodding his head, Keith shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I'll keep it in mind."

It was nearly enough to make him want to change his mind- but no, he wanted to deliver the invitation to the launch to his parents in person. His grandmother wouldn't be able to make the trip, so he wanted to see her before he left, just in case he didn't get another chance to.

He just wished that he could invite Keith to the launch.

"When we get back," Shiro told him, "-we can take our hoverbikes out, try to find a place you can see the launch from."

Perking up at that, Keith gave him a faint smile. "I'll hold you to it."

It would just be two weeks, and the other side of the globe was still closer than Kerberos- or even Mars. But he guessed he'd gotten as close to Keith as Keith had gotten to him- because it felt like it would be both a lot longer, and a lot farther away.

Maybe he _should_ tell his mother about her purple grandson.

* * *

He didn't tell her mother about her purple grandson.

He _did_ tell her about Keith, the kid he had been mentoring. She was happy to hear that he had taken on such a positive role in a young child's life, and it wasn't technically a lie. He was just leaving out a bunch of stuff. When she asked if he had any pictures, she told him that Keith was camera shy- which wasn't a lie either, he was.

Just not for the reasons he'd told her.

He had about two or three photos with Keith in them- one that had been snapped by chance, Keith having happened to wander into the frame without realizing it, and two that had been on purpose. One was from the barbecue party, a group photo with everyone crowded around Matt- the other was from his third time trying out the flight simulator, with Keith sandwiched between him and Matt. He kept all three safely tucked away, where nobody could stumble on them.

His mother was eager to meet Keith on the day of the launch, but Shiro had to hastily explain that it was only open to family. Which was true- as much as he viewed Keith as part of his family, he'd have to jump through hoops to invite him even if he _wasn't_ purple- not that he wouldn't do that.

It made him wonder what Keith's life would have been like if he hadn't turned purple. Would he live a normal life? Would his father still have died? Would he already be on track to becoming a pilot himself by now, wowing the Garrison with his talent?

He tried not to think on it too much.

He sent Keith the postcards. Bought the photo books, the souvenirs. Bought Katie those mascot key chains she wanted, that he did not see the appeal of.

And came home.

He and Keith found that spot when he got back. Made a day out of it. It wouldn't be the same as Keith being able to go to the launch, but at least he would be able to watch it. He had figured out exactly where it was in relation to the launch platform, so that he could look up, and know that Keith was there.

He wouldn't be able to _see_ him- too far away. But he'd know.

What time he could get during all of the preparations, he'd spend with Keith. He knew Matt was doing the same- sometimes they'd run into each other, either on the way back or the way to the shack. Keith took the decreased amount of time he could spend with them in stride, understanding that something as complex as a deep space mission took time and preparation to pull off.

He still sometimes got that lonely look in his eyes, but he never said anything.

Shiro suspected he wouldn't.

Which was what made the upcoming trip all the more important. They had chalked in some time off during the New Year, and they would be using it to fulfill a promise to Keith- to take him to see the mountains- to see _snow_. Sam had gotten in contact with that cousin of his, and they were slated to use his house up in the mountains for a full two weeks around the start of the year.

Keith was excited about snow.

He was just worried how he'd take it.

He and Sam would keep a close eye on Keith- he didn't think they could find a more radically different climate from the desert other than the snowy mountains, at least within the continental United States. A _jungle_ , maybe, but it wasn't like there were a whole lot of those just lying around in their borders.

But Keith wanted to go, so who were they to deny him?

"You're sure you didn't-"

"I didn't forget anything, Shiro." Keith cut him off, with the kind of exasperation only a sixteen year old could manage. "Now let's go."

Shutting his mouth, Shiro gave him a faint smile. Loading into the back of Sam's car, Keith slumped back in the seat, pulling his hood down. He had a bit more confidence now, but he still didn't dare to show his face in public. If he dared to venture out of the desert on his own- which wasn't often, he always did it wearing the helmet and almost always in the middle of the night.

Sam had rented a camper again, assuring Shiro that he could handle even the icy roads. He had been very stern with Keith, making him promise that if he felt even the least bit off, he would tell them. He wouldn't even let him into the camper until he had sworn, doubtlessly recalling his close call with dehydration from their previous trip.

Once they were all set, Keith dug into his pack, pulling out the gaming device that Matt had gifted him for his last birthday- one that he'd made relatively claw proof. Matt and Katie gathered around him in a circle, before scooting closer to him, all but sandwiching Keith in the middle, paying more attention to his game than they did their own.

("You should name that one Eustace."

"What, and ruin it for life?")

It served to occupy his mind, though he suspected he'd rather be out doing something. He'd gotten better at sitting still for long periods of time, but Keith was still very much a creature of action. He could stand without motion for hours at end if he needed to, drawing from his experience as a hunter, but that was usually only if he had something to focus on.

Otherwise? He tended to get a bit fidgety after awhile.

The drive was long- longer than the drive to the lake house. Even within the climate controlled confines of the camper, once the temperature started dropping, Keith noticed. Sam theorized that he was sensitive to temperature changes- and the farther north they got, the colder it got.

They would let Keith out of the camper every now and again, let him get acclimated to the colder weather. They would pull off at rest stops, and Keith would hide in the shadow of the camper, wishing Katie and Matt luck on their perilous quest to the vending machines. Keith got his first taste of soda, and decided almost immediately that he hated it.

By the time they had crossed state lines to where the cabin was located, Keith had switched his hoodie for his winter jacket, one that Shiro had picked up for him at the local thrift store. He seemed fairly cozy in it, even if he _did_ complain that the winter boots they had bought for him hurt his feet. Buying custom ones was out of the question, so they had just gone for a large size.

But otherwise? Things seemed to be going fine.

Hopefully it would stay that way.

* * *

Keith got out of the camper last.

It was like he was back to being that small child again, his eyes- pupils visible- wide in amazement. The second he'd taken a step outside of the camper, and heard the crunch of snow underneath his boots, they somehow managed to get even _wider_.

"Snow," he blurted out, momentarily forgetting himself, "-Shiro, it's snow!"

"Sure is." Shiro told him, cracking a smile.

"Don't just stand there, Keith!" Katie called out, waving a hand. "Come join us!"

Glancing over their way, Keith looked briefly back towards Shiro, before taking another careful step forward, then another. It... reminded him a bit- okay, _a lot_ \- of the cat videos he'd seen, of them being introduced to snow for the first time, but he'd just keep that to himself.

"It's not gonna bite you, Keith!" Matt called out.

Grumbling, a little more like his usual self, Keith glowered at his friend. "I know that! It doesn't even have teeth!"

Letting out a loud snort, Katie knelt down- and oh boy, he knew what she was about to do. Before he could warn Keith to duck, he'd earned himself a face full of snow, courtesy of a really well aimed snowball from Katie.

And Keith?

He'd never seen Keith look so _betrayed_ before.

And he was _including_ the time he'd brought Sam to the shack.

"Wha- you _threw_ snow at me!?" Keith yelled.

"Yeah!" Katie yelled back, beaming. "It's called a snowball! You're supposed to throw one back!"

Narrowing his eyes, Keith let out a low growl, frustration evident in his features. "How was I supposed to know that? I've never seen snow before!"

"Okay, I'm stepping in here." Shiro interjected, holding up his hands. "Keith, let's just-"

"Teach me." Keith cut him off, locking eyes with him.

Blinking, Shiro frowned. He got a bad feeling about this. "Teach you...?"

"How to make a snowball." Keith told him. There was an almost unnerving amount of ferocity in his gaze. "You know, right?"

"I do, but-"

"Then teach me." Keith repeated.

"Keith, I'm not sure that's such a good-"

Folding his arms in front of his chest, Keith stared up at him. "Katie threw snow at me. I need to pay her back."

"Yeah, if you can hit me!" Katie called out.

"I'll make you eat those words, _Pidge_!" Keith called back, baring his teeth at her.

Oh boy.

At that, Katie- _Pidge_ \- simply gaped like a fish, before glowering at her brother. "You taught him that!?"

Matt, to his credit, held his sister's gaze for precisely two seconds- before he dashed through the snow as quick as he could, using Keith as a half-human shield. "I'm on Keith's team now!"

"Wha- Matt, you traitor!" Pidge sputtered. "Okay, that's it- Shiro, come here, you're on this side now!"

"I'm not-" Shiro began.

"Nope, no buts! C'mere!" Pidge shouted. "You may have my brother, Keith, but I'm taking your father!"

"Shiro's not even my father!" Keith yelled back.

"How dare you say that about your father!" Pidge, entirely unhelpful, yelled right back.

And that was how he got himself caught up in a _snowball fight_ , of all things. He took Pidge's side in the end, if only because the odds would be unfair otherwise- and once Keith got the hang of making and throwing snowballs, he proved that his aim with them was every bit as good as with his knife.

Which made him an incredibly formidable opponent.

Not that it caused Pidge to give up- no, she only redoubled her efforts. It went from a small fight, to an all out _war_ , revealing a competitive streak in Keith that he'd never really seen before. He knew about it in Pidge, but this was the first time he'd seen it manifest in _Keith_ this way.

Still full of surprises.

The war ended with Keith declared the victor- but not before Matt fell, collapsing dramatically to the ground, declaring that he couldn't go on. Shiro was one hundred percent sure he was just quitting because his arm was tired, but Keith took his _avenge me_ very seriously, because that was exactly what he did.

By the time Colleen hustled them all inside, their clothes were damp. She had them each take a warm shower, before sitting them in front of a roaring fire, all but shoving a mug of hot cocoa into each of their hands.

Keith, once the adrenaline wore off, took to the chills the worst. Colleen dug out a sweater for him from who knows where, covering him with a thick blanket, and gave him the central spot in front of the fire- but not before lecturing him about being reckless.

Keith just made a low whine, the kind he hadn't heard him make since he was a child. After awhile in front of the fire, he stopped shivering, nestling himself deeper into the blanket. He was a bit worried when he fell asleep, but Sam checked him out, and assured him that he was just fine.

"He's probably just worn out." Colleen observed, carefully taking the half finished cocoa from his hands. Keith let out a faint sound as she did, before tucking himself deeper into the blanket, leaving only his head visible.

"It was a pretty long trip." Shiro observed, resting a hand in Keith's hair. "And he _did_ get pretty carried away there."

"My bad." Pidge piped up.

Glancing over towards her, Shiro arched a brow. She sure didn't _sound_ guilty.

"We should probably just let him sleep." Colleen said softly. "I can save him some dinner, in case he wakes up in the middle of the night and is hungry."

Nodding his head, Shiro looked down at Keith, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. He could have sworn that he was smiling in his sleep, instead of the usual scowl that seemed to be his default resting face, even though he was pretty sure he hadn't been asleep long enough to fall into a dreamlike state.

He must have had a good time.

Carefully scooping him up, Shiro staggered a little under his weight. He was heavier than he looked- Sam was under the impression he had denser bones than a normal human. It sure as heck _felt_ like it, given how scrawny Keith still was. There was more power packed in this kid than an adult male twice his size.

"Need a hand there?" Sam asked.

"No, I've got him." Shiro grunted, careful not to wake Keith up. Another faint sound escaped him, but he didn't wake up, still fast asleep. "Show me to the bedrooms?"

Sam complied, mercifully showing him to a downstairs one. He wasn't sure if he could bring Keith up the stairs, not without killing his knees. It felt like he was _a lot_ heavier than the last time he'd carried him- but he had also been in a state of panic then, so he probably hadn't noticed.

Keith was also bigger now than he was back then- though he hadn't had another growth spurt, he suspected that he might be due for another one any time now. Maybe he'd get back from Kerberos, to find that he'd sprouted up, and was now eye level with him.

Hopefully not more. He'd love Keith even if he _were_ eight feet tall, but he would prefer not.

Tucking Keith in bed, Shiro let out a long breath. Watching as Keith curled up in the sheets, breathing steady, he couldn't help but smile fondly. Reaching down a hand, he lightly ruffled his hair, letting out a chuckle at the low rumble that escaped from him.

Okay. So Maybe Matt and Pidge were right- maybe he _was_ just a giant purple cat.

Not that you'd ever hear that from him.

* * *

"Is... is that _fur_?"

Matt's question was something that had been on all of their minds when Keith came down to breakfast that morning. But he'd looked so visibly uncomfortable, that none of them had dared to breech it- until Matt finally cracked.

Keith, for his part, actually looked visibly relieved that someone had brought it up. They had been at the mountain cabin for five days now, and other than needing to be bundled up even while indoors, and an increased need for sleep, Keith hadn't shown too many signs of reacting negatively to the cold temperatures.

They didn't expect the fur.

Neither did _Keith_ , for that matter.

"...I think so?" Keith hesitated. "I don't know what's going on."

"Let me see." Holding out a hand, Sam waited for Keith to show him his arm. Rolling up the sleeve of his sweater, he peered closely at it, studying the fine strands of fur that had started growing on its surface. They were a vivid purple, the same shade as his skin, blending into the parts where it hadn't yet spread.

"How far does it go?" Sam questioned.

"Uh, up to my elbows?" Keith almost hesitated to answer. "It's on my feet too. And my shoulders."

Letting out a low hum, Sam turned Keith's hand over, noting the way that there was no fur on the palm of it. Keith shifted on his feet, gaze flickering towards Shiro, who gave him a reassuring smile. It helped steady him, but not by much.

"I think," Sam said, rolling back down the sleeve of Keith's sweater, "-that this is your body's way of adapting to the cold."

Keith blinked at that, staring down at his fuzzy hands. "So... this is normal?"

"Possibly." Sam mused. "I wouldn't rush into saying that, but it doesn't seem to be doing you any harm. Has it caused you any pain?"

Shaking his head, Keith frowned. "No. Nothing like that."

"Then it should be fine." Sam told him. "But let us know if anything changes."

Nodding his head, Keith kept his frown. He reached for his gloves, tugging them on over his hands, concealing most of the fur, except for the traces that clung to his fingers. He studied them for himself, his frown deepening as he turned his hands over, before giving up and letting them be.

"How's it feel?" Pidge asked, clearly fighting the urge to reach out and pull up his sleeve herself. With age, she had become a little more aware of personal boundaries- at least enough to tell when Keith was privately freaking out, since he tended to keep that sort of thing to himself.

"...warm?" Keith ventured, before realizing how stupid that sounded. "I don't know. This is weird."

"Good weird or bad weird?" Matt asked.

"...I don't know." Keith admitted. "Just. Weird. Dad didn't say anything about mom having _fur_."

"Could be that you just didn't need it until now." Sam theorized, seeming to mull it over. He didn't look too alarmed, which he was going to take as a good sign. None of them really knew much of anything about alien genetics, but Sam had been spending the better part of the past few years chronicling what he could of Keith's, so he would have a better understanding than perhaps any of them- Keith included. "Think of it like a winter coat."

"So what, I'll lose it when I go back to the desert?" Keith asked, looking up at him, not sounding very convinced. "And I'm just growing it now because it's cold?"

"Pretty much." Sam told him. "We'll keep an eye on it, but I really don't think it's anything to worry about. But if you want to head back-"

"No!" Keith said, a little too quickly. "I mean- no. I'm not going to spoil the trip just because I'm a little freaked out. I'll be fine."

"Keith, I promise you, you wouldn't be spoiling anything." Shiro told him. "If you want to go back because of this, we can start packing up after breakfast."

"Shiro, I'm fine." Keith insisted. "Really."

Frowning, he didn't know if he bought that or not. It wasn't that he didn't trust Keith, it was just that he knew just how stubborn he could be. "You sure?"

"I'm sure." Keith stressed.

"Okay." Shiro accepted that, nodding his head. "But if that changes, be sure to let us know."

"Promise." Keith told him, giving him a weak smile. It wasn't terribly convincing, but he wasn't going to call him out on it when it was clear he was already nervous.

It was halfway through the day when Shiro got the chance to talk to Keith, in private. He had busied himself that morning, helping Sam and Matt find firewood, and had been scarce after lunch, probably having found somewhere to take a nap, but he managed to corner him in the late afternoon.

At first, he looked like he didn't want to talk about it. If that were the case, he would have let it go- but after a few moments of awkward silence, Keith finally caved.

"I just- it's just one more thing, you know." Keith told him.

Nodding his head, Shiro got the feeling he understood. Taking a seat next to him, he passed him the mug of hot cocoa that Colleen had armed him with- he wasn't about to come into this conversation without some kind of peace offering. Keith was a private person- he didn't always like talking about himself, and he suspected that he was the only person he was willing to even open up to on some subjects.

Like the Galra.

He'd never once mentioned them to the Holts. Not a single thing. Sam only knew that there were potentially hostile aliens out there because Shiro had told him that much- but nobody had said anything to either Matt or Pidge.

If Keith wanted to tell them about it, he would. That wasn't his call to make.

"This doesn't make you any less human, Keith." Shiro told him.

Snorting, Keith rolled his eyes, sinking back into the couch. "Cut the crap, Shiro. We both know it does."

He had half a mind to lecture Keith for his language- as well as ask who taught him to swear- but he kept it to himself. Not the time, or the place. Besides, he was pretty sure he knew who the culprit was already. "I mean it, Keith."

"I'm growing _fur_ , Shiro." Keith told him, pulling up his knees. "Just when I thought I knew how much of a freak I was, turns out there's still stuff left to surprise me."

"Keith, you're not a freak." Shiro told him.

"I'm half-alien, Shiro." Keith told him, flatly. "You and I both know I'm not normal."

"Sure, that's true. But that doesn't make you a freak." Shiro insisted, ignoring Keith's scoff. "I mean it. Being different doesn't make you a freak."

"This is more than just being _different_." Keith told him. "My own _father_ confined me to a shack in the desert because he knew people would hate the sight of me."

"Keith, that's not why your father-"

"How would you know?" Keith snapped, narrowing his eyes. "Did you know him?"

Shutting his mouth, Shiro frowned. Clearly this was something that had been bubbling up for awhile now- he should have expected it. The closer he drew to the outside world, the worse his own insecurities would get. He should have known that. But Keith had been looking so _happy_ lately, that somehow, he had put it out of his mind.

That was a mistake.

He'd allowed Keith's thoughts to fester, and they had taken a turn for the decidedly negative. He _knew_ Keith didn't think of his father that way- he admired him, loved him, missed him- but _resented_ him?

No, those weren't his true feelings.

"Keith, I know that's not what you really think." Shiro told him.

Biting his lip, Keith merely glared at him for a long moment- before his shoulders slumped, defeated. "I know, I just-"

Setting aside his mug, Shiro wrapped an arm around Keith's shoulders, pulling him closer. He squirmed at the contact at first, but soon sunk into it, closing his eyes. "I know life hasn't been easy or fair for you Keith, believe me, I'm not trying to undermine that."

"But you can't let yourself fall into that trap." Shiro told him, keeping his voice firm, yet reassuring. He'd gotten a lot of practice with that. "Your father wasn't hiding you because he was ashamed of you, it was because he was afraid _for_ you."

"I know." Keith said, resting his head on his shoulder. "I know that, Shiro, it's just-!"

"I know, Keith." Shiro told him. "I know."

He could reassure him until the sky fell, but what he could do to change Keith's world, he'd done already. Short of going out and finding alien life for himself, there wasn't much more he could do at this point for him- and that wasn't really an option.

"I want to be _human_." Keith told him, for a moment, sounding like that same ten year old boy who he had found in front of his father's grave, desperately missing him.

"You _are_ human, Keith." Shiro told him.

Keith could only let out another bitter snort. "Not enough."

He wanted to reassure him that wasn't true, that he was plenty human- but he knew it would only fall on deaf ears. Instead, he pulled Keith a little closer, entwining his hand with his hair, lightly rubbing the back of it.

Leaning further into his shoulder, Keith shut his eyes again, sinking into the touch. Maybe there was nothing human about the way he purred, but that didn't make it something _bad_. He just wished that he had a way to communicate that to Keith.

Pretty words. That was all he had sometimes, and sometimes, it just wasn't enough. He might mean everything he said, but without the power to actually _change_ anything, that's all they came across as.

So sometimes it was better not to say anything at all.

Keith's feelings, his insecurities, his worries- they were all valid, and they were also something that he alone experienced. He wasn't so caught up in himself to believe that he _truly_ understood- probably the only way he would was if _he_ suddenly turned purple one day too.

Which wasn't going to happen.

That's how they sat for a long time, listening to the crackle of the fireplace. Sensing the mood, the Holts were very careful not to disturb them- other than Colleen giving the pair a blanket, they mostly gave them their space.

He'd nearly thought Keith had drifted off to sleep, when he suddenly spoke.

"I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too, kiddo." Shiro told him. "But I'll be back. I promise."

* * *

The rest of the trip, thankfully, went smoothly.

Talking it out helped Keith work some of the negativity out of his system. It was good for him, Shiro sensed, and he'd pulled Colleen aside later that evening to ask her to keep an eye out for Keith while he was gone. She had promised that she would, and he assumed that would be the end of it.

"...say that again?"

It was a month after they had returned from the mountains, that Keith breeched the topic. The fur he had grown during that time had largely disappeared, having been shed not long after he returned to the desert. They had given up trying to get the purple fur out of Keith's bed sheets- sound excuse enough as any to buy him a new set.

"I'm going to be moving in with them," Keith repeated, "-while you're gone."

Yep, that was what he thought he'd said.

"I- you're sure?" Shiro asked. "You'd be stuck in the house all day."

Keith merely shrugged his shoulders. "It'd just be for a year."

"A year is a long time, Keith." Shiro told him. "Are you sure you can handle it? It'll be a big adjustment."

Nodding his head, Keith peered across the table at him. He had built it together with Pidge, for a school project. Once it had gotten her the A+ that she sought, she had gifted it to Keith, and now it sat on the front porch of the shack, alongside two chairs they had rescued from a scrap heap and fixed up.

"You're worried about me, right?" Keith asked. "I heard you talking with Mrs. Holt."

And at that, he couldn't help but wince. He had been so sure that Keith hadn't heard them, but he guessed he'd once again underestimated his hearing. "So you heard that."

"Good ears." Keith told him, giving him a faint smile. "It's not like I can't go back out into the desert if I need a break."

That was true.

"Besides," Keith continued, "-Mr. Holt and Matt are both going too, right? Pidge and her mom won't be so lonely this way."

It shouldn't come as so much of a shock to him that Keith had picked up on that. He might not express it well, but he could actually be pretty empathetic. Yet somehow, the statement still managed to catch him off guard.

Maybe he just hadn't fully realized just how close Keith had grown to the Holts. It was obvious with Pidge and Matt- they were friends, of course they were close- but he hadn't realized that he'd grown so close to their parents, either.

It was... nice.

"You're right." Shiro told him, unable to keep the pride out of his voice. "I think they'd like that."

"Pidge says she's aiming for the Garrison too." Keith told him- apparently Matt's nickname had stuck- even he was starting to call her it in his head too. "I'm going to help her study."

"Yeah?" Shiro asked. "Let me guess- engineer."

"Or a communications officer. Or both. She hasn't decided." Keith told him, crinkling his nose. "Why does nobody want to be a _pilot_?"

"I'm a pilot." Shiro told him.

"You don't count." The look on Keith's face was so serious, he couldn't tell if he was joking or not. Poker would not be a game he'd want to play with him.

"Keith, what have I said about hurting my feelings?"

"Whoops."


	8. seventeen

It is time. Time for Shiro's very bad no good year. With that said, next chapter will be the last chapter! Beyond that, I don't have too much to say this time around, so I'll just let you get straight to the chapter! Enjoy~!

* * *

 **desert born**

 **seventeen**

* * *

The second he saw it, he _knew_ he had to have it. Not for him, but for Keith.

It was a flash of red and white that had caught his eye, almost commanding his attention. He had spent _weeks_ debating over what to buy Keith for his seventeenth birthday, only to stumble upon the perfect gift purely by accident.

Since he was going to miss Keith's eighteenth birthday, he wanted to at least make sure that his seventeenth was something to remember. To that extent, everything needed to be perfect- including the gift.

The jacket's sleeves were a bit long, but Keith would probably grow into it. He'd crept up about an inch in the past week, hinting at another growth spurt, so it would be good to have something that would fit him a bit better when it finally hit. The material was sturdy, thick, probably able to last for years even out in the harsh desert climate.

He'd probably miss Keith's next growth spurt, which stung, but he'd had an entire year to come to terms with the fact that he'd probably miss several of Keith's milestones. His eighteenth birthday was just the tip of the iceberg.

It was nearly enough to make him not want to go.

But Keith himself had been the one who had told him to go, and it was way too late to get a replacement pilot for the Kerberos mission now.

He'd splurged on a cake, too. Made to order- about two, or maybe three years ago, a bakery had opened up in the town that bordered the Garrison, run by a lovely woman named Garrett. She was more than happy to give him a discount- apparently he'd developed something of a reputation for himself without even realizing it, but Shiro had insisted on paying full price.

She seemed to be under the impression that he was ordering it for his son, which he learned when she asked him when he'd decided to adopt.

He decided not to dispute her.

Fine. Alright. _Maybe_ he was Keith's father figure. Maybe it was just time he admitted that.

 _Privately_.

Publicly? Nope. Not gonna happen.

In a little more than a week, the Kerberos mission would launch. But until then, he planned on spending what time he could with Keith.

The party itself was to be held at the Holt household that year. Part of it was an excuse to move some of Keith's stuff there ahead of time, so that he wouldn't have to try and strap it all to the back of his hoverbike, but the other part was just an excuse for Matt and Pidge to have a monster movie marathon with him.

Halloween _was_ just around the corner, after all.

It was a good plan- seeing as both Matt and Sam would be leaving on the mission too. A little last minute bonding for everyone, though Shiro himself wouldn't be spending the night. He didn't want to impose, even though both Sam and Colleen had insisted he would be doing no such thing.

Keith would be moving in with Colleen and Pidge the day after the launch, during the evening. There were some things that he wanted to take care of before he left the shack, and briefly, he'd wondered if they had anything to do with the pair of ruined fighters. Given how vague he was about what it was that he needed to do, it could very well be.

He still hadn't said anything more about the Galra.

Other than to make him promise to stay away from any purple aliens, present company excluded. Which he did. He didn't know if Keith had asked the same of Sam and Matt or not, or if he'd even told them anything about the Galra- he hadn't asked, and didn't plan to.

Keith drove himself to the Holts this time. Since he didn't technically have a real license, it was a bit of a risk, but as long as he was careful, he didn't have to worry about anyone pulling him over. As long as he kept the helmet with the tinted visor on, and wore long sleeves and full gloves, nobody would spare him too much of a second glance.

It helped that he'd gotten bolder in the past year.

Maybe a little _too_ bold, but if Keith was finally leaving his fear of the outside world behind him, he didn't want to be the one to put it back. As far as he was concerned, just so long as it didn't make him reckless, then it was a good thing.

When he arrived at the Holts, Keith's hoverbike was already parked out front. He gave it a faint smile, before he headed in himself, pausing only briefly to knock on the door.

"So good to see you, Shiro." Colleen told him. "Everyone's in the living room."

Nodding his head, Shiro made his way there. Keith perked up at the sight of him, but didn't get up, though he suspected that had less to do with what he was doing at the moment, and more to do with the dog in his lap. They had gotten one in the past year- or to be more precise, it had followed Pidge home, and they'd just decided to keep it.

He was a bit surprise at how well it had taken to Keith. He'd expected it to react like he'd seen other animals do- by running away, or maybe challenging him. But it had done neither of those things, instead seeking out his company whenever he was around. Either it could sense that Keith was of no threat to him, or it was just exceptionally stupid.

Matt, in true Halloween spirit, was trying to teach Keith how to use an Ouija board.

...somehow summoning spirits with a half-alien didn't sound like it was the best of ideas. Not that he actually believed in that sort of thing, or even thought those things worked, but still. As a concept, it just seemed flawed.

"Hey, Keith. Happy birthday, kiddo."

Shooting him a look, Keith's brows knit together. "I'm _seventeen_ , Shiro. I'm not a kid anymore."

"Mm, nope. You are to me." Shiro told him.

Probably always would be.

...damnit. He really _was_ a dad, wasn't he.

"Just accept it, Keith." Pidge chimed in. "That's just how fathers are."

"Shiro's not my-"

"Oh, Shiro, good to see you made it!" Sam cut him off, likely without meaning to- though that didn't stop Keith from glaring at him. Sam just took it in stride. "That the cake? You can just set it down on the table, if you want."

Giving him a small smile, Shiro nodded his head. "Yep, this is it. So what's the plan, Keith? Presents first? Or cake?"

Staring at him blankly, Keith looked exasperated. "We've been over this before, Shiro. Cake first, then presents."

He didn't know if it was a Galra thing or just a Keith thing, but either way, it didn't look like he was going to break out of being a creature of habit anytime soon. Not that he didn't find it kind of endearing- Keith's stubborn insistence that there was just a way things were done.

He had his little superstitions too, but those, he suspected, came from his father.

He had carved out some kind of charm for him, and had thrust it on him about a week ago. From what he understood, Matt and Sam each gotten charms of their own. He couldn't recognize what it was supposed to be- it vaguely resembled a _v_ , though not quite- but Keith had been very insistent that it would protect them from evil.

When he'd asked Keith about what evil it would protect him from, he'd just shrugged.

It wouldn't be the first time Keith did something without seemingly knowing the reason why, and at this point, Shiro had just sort of stopped questioning it. Keith didn't know the answer, and it wasn't like there was ever any harm in it, so it was just best to leave the subject be.

Even without being half-alien, living out in the desert alone for as long as he had was bound to give him a few quirks.

Speaking of presents, though- he'd definitely made the right call with his.

Keith _loved_ the jacket. To the extent that he put it on, and didn't take it off for the rest of the evening. Sam confirmed for him later than when he'd drifted off to sleep that night, he was still wearing it. The sleeves, like he thought, were too long, so he just rolled them up.

Shiro stayed with them for dinner, and joined them for the first monster movie of the evening, at Keith's insistence. He'd never seen _Frankenstein_ anyways.

When it was over, he got ready to leave. Keith saw him to the door, stopping him before he could actually leave.

"When you get back from Kerberos, there's something I want to show you."

He'd never seen Keith so serious before- whatever it was, it had to be something big. In the back of his mind, his thoughts flickered back to that day, when Keith had shown him the scout ship, the one his parents had brought down.

Protecting something.

Nodding his head, Shiro gave him a smile. "I'll look forward to it."

Relief flooded Keith's features- and it was then that he realized that this was his way of telling him to come back safe. Letting out a faint laugh, he ruffled Keith's hair, the teen allowing it, just this once.

"Any chance I can get a hint?" Shiro asked.

"Nope." Keith grinned. "Not a chance."

* * *

The weather on the day of the launch was perfect.

He almost thought he could see Keith on the plateau that they had found for him to watch it from, but he knew that was just wishful thinking on his part. Keith could see them- Matt had dug out a pair of old binoculars for him, and that, combined with his already increased eyesight, meant there was little to no doubt that he had a good view of the launch.

It wasn't the same as having him here, though.

His parents were here, his mother and his father both. His mother had asked after Keith when she'd arrived, hoping to get the chance to meet the kid he had been mentoring, but Shiro had told her that he was down with the flu. He still didn't like lying, but maybe when he got back from Kerberos, he'd get the chance to finally introduce the two of them.

At least he'd have plenty of time up in space to plan on what he would tell her.

With Keith staying with Pidge and Colleen, he wouldn't exactly be out of contact either. Matt had pulled him aside before the launch, whispering something in hushed tones about a code that he'd shared with his sister, one that she could use to contact them. He'd raised a brow at it, but it wasn't like he was one to talk, not given all the times he'd snuck Keith into the simulator in the past three years.

If he were a cadet, he'd be at the top of his class by now.

He watched with a fond smile the parade of photographs the Holts took in front of the shuttle- and had been a little surprised when they'd dragged him into a few of them too. They had even brought along their dog, a feat which he still wasn't sure how they had managed.

He wished Keith could be in the pictures too.

Maybe someday.

When it came time to board the shuttle, Shiro caught himself pausing, just before entering. His gaze found its way in the direction of the plateau. Lifting a hand, he waved, knowing that anyone watching on the ground would assume that he was waving at them.

Matt and Sam stopped too, picking up on what he was doing- and joined him.

He had said goodbye to Keith yesterday, knowing that they wouldn't have time to do it today. Keith hadn't cried, but he suspected that was only because he couldn't. No tear ducts, according to Sam.

They had embraced each other for a long time.

Shiro promised that he would come back.

But in order to come back, he would actually have to get there. Dropping his hand, he cast one last lingering look in the direction of the plateau, before he turned on his heel, entering the shuttle.

Time to go make history.

* * *

"We got out first message from Pidge!"

Matt practically beamed, holding up what definitely wasn't a Garrison issued laptop. How he had gotten that onto the shuttle, Shiro had no idea, but at this point, he'd sort of stopped asking questions in that vein.

Getting to Kerberos would take _months_ , and for a sizable portion of their journey, he wasn't even needed at the helm of the shuttle. It had been designed that way, so that it could be piloted by a single person, reducing the crew load it would have to handle. Sam's designs were nothing short of brilliant, that much even he could tell.

"Yeah?" Shiro asked. "What's she say?"

"School sucks, but with two x's." Matt replied. "Also- aw man! Bae Bae threw up on my chair! I liked that chair!"

Letting out a soft laugh, Shiro's eyes flickered over towards Sam, who shook his head, looking amused. "Anything from Keith?"

There was, in fact. And it would be the first of many messages to come, from the both of them. Most of them were just day to day reports of their lives- Keith was helping Pidge with her homework, Pidge had successfully gotten Keith to watch _Alien_ , things of that nature. It wasn't the same as actually being there with them, but it was nice to know that they were both doing okay.

Keith rarely sent messages on his own, which didn't surprise him. He was smart, but he'd always been better with his hands than he had been with code.

At least he seemed to be adjusting well. Granted, Keith was the type to keep his problems to himself, and he didn't expect that to change over text, but he was pretty sure that Pidge would tell them if there were any major problems.

If anything, the biggest problem was Keith's bad habit of disappearing for days at a time. He would often leave without warning- the first time it had happened, Pidge had panicked, and Shiro had to reassure her as best he could through text that Keith was probably fine, and had just gone back to the desert for awhile.

Sure enough, he showed back up again a few days later, like nothing had ever happened. From the sound of it, it hadn't occurred to him that he'd even needed to tell them he was leaving- which he figured. He hadn't lived with another person on a full time basis since he was seven, so there were bound to be some hiccups.

He put that on the list of things he'd need to talk to Keith about when they returned to Earth.

In turn, they would send them messages of their own, telling them about how their journey was going, what they had passed since their last contact, if anything at all. Sometimes, it was nothing- other times, there was so much to talk about, they could hardly fit it all in.

In that fashion, they finally arrived at Kerberos.

The landing went smoothly, going off without a hitch. They would stay on Kerberos for a total of two weeks, collecting ice samples and making records, after which point, they would being their long journey back to Earth.

Being this far out in space... Keith was right. If he'd passed this chance up, he'd have regretted it for the rest of his life.

* * *

"What is that? Seismic activity?"

No.

It was a ship.

* * *

"...they're his mother's people, aren't they?"

It was Sam who breached the question in the end, in the privacy of their cell. He knew that it had been on all their minds, ever since they had been taken- _abducted_ \- but that no one had wanted to ask it. Like saying it out loud would confirm the reality of their situation.

Closing his eyes, Shiro rested his head against the wall of their cell. It was just the three of them in here, for the moment. He didn't know how long that would last, how long they would be kept together.

He didn't know a lot of things.

But he _did_ know these were Galra.

"...yes."

There was a long, heavy silence in the cell then. Shiro fished the charm Keith had made for him out from his boot, where he kept it hidden, fiddling with it as he let the other two dwell on their own thoughts. Running a hand over the smooth texture of the stone, he wondered if it had done its job or not- it sure didn't feel like it, not right now.

Sam and Matt hadn't brought theirs, leaving them both at home. In the back of his mind, he could almost hear Keith chastising them for it. It almost brought a smile to his face.

When they had been stripped of all their possessions, forced into these clothes, he had bitten it off the cord he used to hang it around his neck, kept it in his mouth until they had been thrown into a cell. The taste of the stone had nearly made him gag, but some part of him felt like he needed to protect it.

If it could be linked back to Keith... the Galra couldn't know he existed.

If they knew, they would take him for sure.

They might share the same blood as him, but even after only just a week here, one thing was clear to them- Keith did not belong here. He wasn't one of them, not a part of this... this _Galra Empire_.

"I knew you told me that his mother's kind were hostile," Sam finally spoke up, "-but I never could really believe it, not looking at Keith."

"Keith's not- he isn't like them." Shiro said, fingers tightening around the charm. The black paint had already started to chip off, probably from how he wore at it with his fingers.

He didn't want to hear them speak badly of Keith. Couldn't. Wouldn't.

"Trust us, Shiro, we know that." Sam reassured him- and all at once, Shiro felt himself breathe again. He hadn't even realized he'd been holding it, until he'd let it go, his shoulders slumping.

"Sorry, I just-" Heaving a sigh, Shiro rubbed the charm, turning to look at them. "This is a lot to deal with."

"We've been abducted by an evil alien empire." Matt said. "That'd just about ruin anyone's week."

In spite of himself, Shiro let out a faint chuckle. "I- when Keith told me that his mother's people were _bad_ , I didn't- the scale's a lot bigger than what I'd expected."

From what little he had managed to glean about their situation, it didn't sound good. Keith hadn't mentioned anything to him about an _empire_ , so either he hadn't known the scale of it, or he had never found the right time to bring it up.

In his defense- what _was_ the right time to bring up that half of your blood came from a race that had dominated nearly the entire universe?

"What do you think they want from us?" Matt asked. "It kind of sounds like they're looking for something."

They were.

Chewing on his lip, Shiro debated telling them. Whatever it was that they were looking for, Keith knew where it was. In the end, he decided against it, if only because it would be safer if only one of them knew that particular piece of information.

Just knowing about Keith was risky enough.

"We can't tell them." Shiro said instead. "About Keith."

"Keith's like my weird alien brother." Matt told him. "I'm not about to sell him out. I mean- what if they try to brainwash him or something?"

He couldn't say that he hadn't considered it. But he also tried not to think about it too much.

"You don't worry about a thing, Shiro." Sam assured him. "Keith's family. If they find out about him, it won't be from us."

Nodding his head, he'd just have to trust that.

* * *

None of them counted on the druids.

He could feel them, prodding around in his brain. Searching for something, for answers to questions that they hadn't even asked.

When they brushed up against memories of Keith, he thought not of the awkward purple child that he had gotten to know, but instead, of the child he'd never gotten to meet- the Keith that would have grown up human, with pale skin and purple eyes. It hurt, picturing Keith with an appearance that would have allowed him everything he wished, but he couldn't let this thing know.

It worked, somehow.

The druids, for whatever reason, had been most invested in him. They had barely given Sam and Matt a second glance, for which he was grateful.

Still, he could tell that it had taken a lot out of them- especially Sam. Maybe in the grand scheme of things, he wasn't that old- but he _was_ too old to be treated the way they were. He did what he could for him, and so did Matt, but there was only so much he could do for him when he was in the same situation as he was.

One day, one of the guards came to take Sam, only he never came back.

All they had managed to get was that he had been taken to a work camp of some kind. That he was too weak to be going where they were. He didn't know where that was, but what he did know was that he would do what he could to protect Matt in Sam's absence.

Matt had been furious at first.

Then despondent.

Now? Now he was somewhere between the two. It varied from day to day, from hour to hour. He tried to keep him talking, if only to keep him out of his own head.

"Do you think they know what happened to us?"

"I don't know." Shiro admitted. He could lie, tell him that the Galaxy Garrison had a rescue mission on the way to save them right now- but they both knew that wasn't true. They had gone far, far beyond where any of the Garrison's ships could reach.

He knew he wasn't asking about the Garrison anyways.

"But I do know that Keith and Pidge won't stop searching for answers." Shiro told him.

It was true- they wouldn't.

That didn't mean it would be _easy_. The downed fighter picked up on Galra frequencies, but even if Keith happened to be listening at a time they were discussing them, it didn't change the fact that he could barely understand his mother's native tongue.

Even then, what could they do? They had two damaged fighters, one of which was clearly beyond repair. Just finding where they were in space would be long shot- breaking into rescue them was even more unlikely.

And Keith? How would Keith take the news? These were his mother's kind- _his_ kind. He'd been so terrified at the prospect, so to have it become reality... would he blame himself? His worst fear was that he would isolate himself from Pidge and Colleen, right when they needed each other the most.

It wasn't much of one, but Matt managed to crack a smile. "They're stubborn, those two."

Nodding his head, Shiro smiled fondly, trying not to think too much. He needed to be strong, for Matt's sake. He was barely a year older than Keith. "They sure are."

"They'll take care of each other though, right?" Matt asked, his smile faltering. "I mean... if we don't come back."

"We'll get back home, Matt." Shiro told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I promise."

"But if we _don't_ -"

"If we don't," Shiro said, "-they'll take care of each other."

He hoped.

* * *

Matt was gone now too.

He had vowed to protect him, and had done just that- though in doing so, he had been forced to injure him. But he didn't have a choice- if he hadn't done something, then Matt would have been sent out into the arena. It was the only way he could have protected him.

Maybe now he'd have a chance. Maybe he could find his father- even better, maybe he could find a way to escape. Matt was clever, and a quick thinker- he'd seen the light of it come back to his eyes right before he had been dragged away from him, and tossed into the arena in his place.

He'd survived. Barely.

Matt was never brought back to their cell. He had been transferred, he'd heard. To a work camp of some kind.

Good. Better there than the arena.

His first time in the arena was far from the last. Before he knew it, he had become a regular staple there. He'd never thought of himself as much of a fighter, but if he wanted to survive this, then he had no choice _but_ to fight. Defeating Myzax had left quite the impression, earning him a new nickname.

Champion.

It attracted attention.

He had heard rumors about her. But he'd brushed them off, not making much of them. She was like a ghost story, he thought, to try and scare the prisoners in line- that if they didn't do what they were told, Zarkon's witch would come for them, and drag them away.

He learned the hard way that Haggar was real.

"They call you Champion," she had told him, the sound of her voice making his skin crawl, "-I can see why. But I can make you stronger. Better."

She took his arm.

In its place, they left a weapon.

Cold, made of metal. Staring down at it, he thought of all the times he'd used it to ruffle Keith's hair, to give his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. False hand balling into a fist, he squeezed his eyes shut, allowing his thoughts to drift. To wonder.

How was Keith doing? What had he heard? Did he know the truth, or was he still looking for it? What kind of story had the Garrison told the media, the world? Was he still living with Colleen and Pidge?

Was he safe?

What if the Garrison found him? A knot of dread formed in the pit of his stomach at the thought. No matter what they had settled on as an official story, they had to be searching for answers. What if the Garrison found Keith, and thought he had something to do with their disappearance?

Keith didn't. Shiro knew that.

But the Garrison didn't.

They wouldn't see him as he'd seen him, the earnest but awkward half-alien who was so curious, but also so frightened of the world outside his desert shack. Who he'd watched grow bolder, ready to take on the world- so long as he had a safe place to retreat back to, at the end of the day.

His brother. His _family_.

The Garrison would just see the alien.

He felt like he understood Keith's father a little better now.

He found himself fishing out the charm. The black paint had almost entirely chipped away by now, rendering it smooth. Holding it tight in his hand- his human hand- he drew in a long breath, resting his head against the cold metal of the cell wall.

"Be safe, Keith."

* * *

He should have known it was only a matter of time before someone found the charm. If anything, he was just amazed that he'd kept it hidden this long.

In the end, it was his own fault it had been found. He'd gotten careless, hadn't hid it as well as he thought he had. It had come tumbling out of his boot, clattering to the floor, the noise somehow sounding far louder than it had any right to. It was just a small mercy that he wasn't with Haggar, or one of the druids- just a technician, here to check on the work done on his arm.

He didn't know his name, but he didn't know the names of most of those holding him captive.

He just knew that he'd seen this one before. He had been there when his arm had first been replaced, impassive as the rest. They might have the same kind of eyes as Keith had- a solid yellow color, with no visible pupils, but unlike his, theirs were unreadable.

His fur was thin, a light lavender color, except where it was white- there was a crest of it, on top of his head. His ears were more like Keith's, but not quite- they lacked that second, lower point, and were covered with a thin layer of fur. When he'd grown fur back in the mountains, Keith's coat had been a bit thicker, and briefly Shiro caught himself wondering what circumstances this Galra had been raised in to develop the way he had.

He had seen many Galra during his time here, and except for the foot soldiers, made to look uniform on purpose, almost no two Galra looked alike. Guess Sam's theory was right after all.

The technician, whose name he did not know, picked up the charm. He couldn't read his face, not with the breathing mask in the way, but he could have sworn that his brows furrowed at the sight of it.

Instantly, Shiro's heart seized up. What if Keith had made him some kind of Galra totem, maybe without even realizing it? Genetic memory was a thing, to some extent- within his first few weeks here, he'd picked up on faint ticks, the odd verbal cue that he recognized from Keith.

"Where did you get this?"

He expected the question, but not the tone in which it was delivered. Confusion, apprehension... even a hint of wonder.

Suddenly, it wasn't so hard to read his eyes.

"It's just a charm." Shiro told him, his own tone curt, betraying nothing. "It doesn't mean anything."

The Galra scanned his face, searching for some kind of a lie, and he felt himself tense under it. The sight of it running a clawed finger over the smooth surface of the charm made something in his gut churn, like it was being violated, somehow.

At best, it would be taken away. At worst, he would pass it on to Haggar, who would doubtlessly be filled with questions.

But the Galra did neither of those things.

Instead, he had pressed it back in his hand- his human hand, curling his fingers around it. "Do not let anyone else see this."

And that was that.

Opening his mouth to ask a question, Shiro didn't get the chance. The technician's departure from the room was abrupt, and thinking back on it, Shiro realized that he hadn't even gotten the chance to check on his false arm.

It was only later, back in his cell, that Shiro recalled Keith's words. Spoken with hesitance, as if he was afraid how the revelation would affect their budding relationship. How he'd told him that his mother's people were bad- even if his mother, and her friends- were not.

Her friends.

Were there others, then? Galra who fought against this _Emperor Zarkon_?

No, there must have been. It was impossible for an entire race to simply be evil. Keith was nothing short of good, and even if he had been raised on Earth, there were enough quirks that he had come to understand were purely Galra, for him to believe that was the only reason why he was the way he was.

His mother, the rebel, who had left him a ceremonial blade.

Maybe he could find a way out of here after all.

* * *

His escape was both chaotic and unexpected.

When he'd been brought in, he'd thought it had simply been for another procedure- the presence of the odd Galra who had helped him hide his charm didn't do much to take away the edge of dread. _If_ he was any kind of rebel- and that was still an _if_ \- then he was clearly working undercover, and no matter how geared towards optimism he tried to be, he just couldn't picture him trying to help him escape.

Sometimes, he liked being proven wrong.

It helped that he had been planning to escape for what felt like weeks- maybe even months now. Learning the timing of the patrols, getting a feel for the layout of the ship he was being kept on. The longer he spent here, the more pressing the need became- not just for his own sake, but for those he left behind.

Haggar was growing more interested in Earth.

At first, he thought it was because he'd let something slip about Keith. But no- whatever it was that had caught her interest, it wasn't him. She was aware that he had someone important to him that he'd left behind on Earth, had even taunted him about it a few times, but she didn't seem to know that he was part-Galra.

He learned what it was from Ulaz.

Which turned out to be the strange Galra's name.

"Zarkon has located the blue lion of Voltron," and though he didn't know what that was, there was something quite urgent to Ulaz's tone, "-on your planet Earth. You _must_ find it before he does."

It wasn't hard for him to put two and two together after that. Whatever those scout ships had come to Earth looking for, it had to be this blue lion.

Which meant Keith knew where it was.

Lions. His thoughts clicked back, to the stone carvings that Keith had given them, the Christmas before the Kerberos mission had been decided. Black and green- he'd spotted one in Keith's shack that had been painted red, but no blue.

"The Blade of Marmora is with you."

Blade. Keith's knife. The gift from his mother.

"Wait," to be frank, he was still kind of out of it- Ulaz had tried to slap the sedative out of him, but it was still showing its effects, "-wait. There's something I need to tell you."

Ulaz's brow furrowed. It looked as if he wanted to rush him off again, but for the moment, he listened, deciding that whatever he had to say, it had to have been important.

"Back on Earth, there's a child." Shiro told him- and honestly, after keeping Keith a secret for so long, he didn't know quite why he was trusting him with this. But his instincts told him that he could. "Well, he's not really a _child_ anymore, but he's- he's part Galra."

That took Ulaz by surprise- before he watched as something clicked into place in his mind. "Why are you telling me this?"

"If you know his mother," Shiro began, "-if you have some way of getting into contact with her, tell her that his father passed. He's- Keith's alone now. Or almost."

"...he had you." Ulaz observed, his brows knitting together.

Nodding his head, Shiro frowned. "He has two others, back on Earth."

"He made you the charm." Ulaz stated.

"That was him, yeah." Shiro said. "Please. His mother _has_ to be one of you, so-"

"I understand." Ulaz told him. "I will pass on the message, if I am given the chance. But for now, you must go. If Zarkon gets to your planet before you do, then this _Keith_ could be in danger."

That was the truth.

It was the truth, so Shiro thanked him, and hurried towards where the escape pods were kept. He should have paid a bit more attention to where he was going, because timing the sentries was useless if he just collided with a cart, sending containers flying and drawing their attention anyways.

The last thing he remembered was hitting his head, after the force of the explosion threw him into the escape pod. He maintained consciousness for just long enough to determine that the sentry that had been thrown in with him had been cut in half by the closing pod doors, and then...

...nothing.

* * *

When he came to, he was strapped to a table.

There was a brief moment in which panic seized him, fearing that his escape had all been in his mind, some trick of the witch. Maybe she knew he was keeping information from her, and had decided to change her tactics in order to get it.

But no- he wasn't on a Galra ship.

But he wasn't exactly in some unknown place, either.

Those were- those were Garrison hazmat suits. It took him a second to place them, but there was no mistaking them once he did.

Was he- was he back on Earth?

But then why was he strapped to a table?

Trying to sort through his memories, he let out a loud groan, attracting the attention of the med techs. He tried to recall why and how he'd gotten here, but his memories were scattered, in pieces. He recalled getting captured, and escaping, but couldn't remember any of the details of how he'd done it.

He just knew they had to find something. Something important.

Voltron.

 _Keith._

Right, Keith- Keith knew where Voltron was. He couldn't recall how he'd come to that conclusion, just that it felt right. If he wanted to stop the Galra from getting what they wanted, then he needed to get out of here, needed to find Keith.

Except he was still strapped to a table.

His thoughts disjointed as they were, all he could think to do was shout- _rave_ , like a madman, about aliens. He knew how he sounded, but it was the truth- if they didn't find this Voltron, then Earth could be in danger.

But Iverson, damn him, wouldn't listen to him.

Instead, the moment they saw what had become of his right arm, they moved to put him under. He tried to fight it, but strapped down like this, there wasn't much he could do to resist. Eyelids fluttering shut, he could have sworn that he heard something akin to a distant explosion as he succumbed to unconsciousness.

When he came to next, golden eyes stared down at him.

But he felt no fear, even though those same eyes had haunted him for what felt like ages. Because he knew those eyes- knew the person behind them.

"Keith," he said slowly, testing his voice, "-looks like you saved me again."


	9. eighteen

Here it is at last, the final chapter. Will there be more from this verse in the future? Absolutely, you can count on that. There's still plenty of things that I would love to touch on, a lot of things that I couldn't touch on because I was sticking to Shiro's POV throughout. I don't know when that'll be, but one day, I'll come back to this! For now, however, the story is over, so I hope everyone enjoyed it!

Thanks for sticking with me until the end!

* * *

 **desert born**

 **eighteen**

* * *

The first thing he noticed was that Keith was wearing the jacket he'd bought him.

The second thing was that he wasn't alone.

It took him a second to recognize Pidge- for a minute, he'd nearly mistaken her for Matt. She'd cut her hair, and was wearing his glasses, looking for all the world like a smaller version of him. Seeing it made his heart sting, even if he was relieved to see her whole and hale.

He _didn't_ recognize the other two.

"Shiro," Keith said his name like it was a sigh of relief, "-you came back."

Giving him a faint smile, he nearly reached up with his right hand, before he thought better of it, switching to his left instead. Resting it on Keith's head, he lightly stroked it, listening to the quiet rumble of his chest. "I promised I would, didn't I?"

Without any warning, Keith took him in a tight embrace. He felt his bones protest against it, but he didn't make any move to break it, instead resting his human hand against Keith's back, rubbing the small of it. Turning his head just so, he peered over towards Pidge, who just smiled at him, relief visible in her eyes.

And pain.

It wasn't hard to guess why. He'd been the only one in that shuttle, that much he did know.

Letting his gaze drift, he fixed it on the pair he didn't know. They looked around Keith's age, if not maybe a year or so younger. The bigger one flinched under his gaze, looking more than a little nervous, while the lanky one just held it, looking at him in what could only be described as awe.

And maybe a bit of apprehension.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Keith drew away from him. Standing up straight, he tried to regain what composure he could, not that he was fooling anyone. He took that as a sign to get up himself, pushing himself up into a sitting position. His muscles groaned a little at the action, but otherwise cooperated.

He was in the shack, he noticed.

It looked much the same as he had left it, if not a little dirtier. Upkeep clearly hadn't been Keith's number one priority.

From the sound of it, he'd been gone for a year. _A whole year_ , leaving Keith alone. Well, not _alone_ \- Colleen and Pidge had been with him, but still.

"Water," Keith finally said, "-you need water."

It was an echo of when they first met, and he had to wonder if Keith had chosen to say it on purpose. Then again, knowing Keith, he probably did just think he needed water.

"I could use some water." Shiro told him, watching as Keith wordlessly nodded his head, ducking into the kitchen. Watching him go with a faint smile, Shiro turned his gaze onto Pidge. "Trying out a new look?"

A playful expression danced across her face, as she adjusted Matt's glasses with one hand. "You could say that."

No sooner than she had, however, did her face fall. "Shiro, my family-"

Shaking his head, Shiro watched as her face fell all the more. He wanted nothing more than to tell her they were safe, but he couldn't lie to her. Getting her hopes up just to let them down would be the cruelest thing he could do to her. "I'm sorry, Katie. I don't remember much of what happened. Everything's all scrambled."

"Wait," it was the lanky one who piped up, causing Pidge to flinch, "- _Katie_? I thought your name was Pidge!"

Shrugging her shoulders, trying to act casual about it, her nervous smile gave her away. "Surprise?"

Arching a brow, Shiro's gaze flickered over towards her. There was clearly a story to be told there, but it could wait.

Finding the blue lion took top priority.

And maybe getting a change of clothes.

Eyes scanning the shack, they froze on a small, stone figure of a lion, painted black- the same one Keith had given him for Christmas what felt like ages ago. As luck would have it, Keith returned to the room around the same time, taking notice of where he was looking.

"The Galaxy Garrison declared you dead." Keith told him, passing him the cup of water, before setting down a pair of granola bars on the couch next to him. "I got it from your apartment before they cleaned it out."

Arching a brow, Shiro looked up at him. "...you broke into my apartment?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Keith just folded his arms in front of him. "I didn't want them to take it."

He knew Keith had been getting bold, but not _that_ bold. Clearly, something had changed in the year he'd been away.

He could tell that much just from looking at him- when he'd left, the sleeves of his jacket had been too long for him, but now it fit him perfectly. He couldn't say for sure, seeing as he was sitting down, but if he had to guess, he'd say Keith came up to around his chin now.

"Wait so," cutting back in again, the lanky teen whose name he realized he hadn't gotten yet, spoke up, looking between them, "-you two know each other?"

Giving the pair a smile, Shiro nodded his head. "I've known Keith since I was maybe your age. Speaking of which, I don't believe I caught either of your names."

Blinking, the lanky one frowned, exchanging a look with his friend. "Well, I'm Lance, and this is Hunk. You're Shiro, right? The pilot from the Kerberos mission?"

"They're cadets." Pidge supplied, and then, with a note of annoyance- "-who followed me when they weren't supposed to."

"Hey, how were we supposed to know you were going to break _the_ Takashi Shirogane out of Garrison quarantine?!" Lance protested. "And you never said anything about being friends with an _alien_! Or being named Katie!"

"Like I said, I'm not an alien." Keith said, tone exasperated like this wasn't even the second time he'd said that.

"Okay so, just to recap," Hunk finally spoke up, "-we just helped break out Takashi Shirogane from Garrison quarantine, Pidge is friends with an _alien_ -"

"I'm not-"

"-except Pidge's name is actually _Katie_ , and now we're all here out in the middle of the desert, in a shack, and also apparently there are aliens heading here as we speak? Did I miss anything? Because I feel like I missed something."

"No, I think you got it all, Hunk." Lance told him.

"You know what," Pidge piped up, "-why don't the three of us step outside, and I'll catch both of you up to speed."

Judging from the way she looked at Keith, it felt like she was making the offer more for his sake than theirs. Not that he didn't appreciate it- with everything that had happened, having some time alone to talk with Keith was just what he needed.

"You know," he spoke up once Pidge had escorted the two cadets outside, "-I was kind of hoping that they were your friends."

Blinking at the statement, Keith frowned. "They're Pidge's flight partners."

Flight partners. "So she did join the Garrison."

"Sort of." Keith told him. "It's a long story."

"I'm guessing it has something to do with them not knowing her name is Katie." Shiro observed, grateful to see it earned him a faint smile. "Keith, I-"

"I know what happened, Shiro." Keith told him, smile vanishing as he drew into himself. "Part of it, at least. You don't have to pretend to be nice to me still."

Alarmed by the statement, Shiro found himself on his feet before he even registered that he was standing up. It pained him, the way Keith flinched at the action, but he didn't budge.

"Keith, believe me, I'm not pretending." Shiro told him. "Nothing has changed between us."

"But you were-"

Cutting him off, Shiro rested his human hand on his shoulder, smiling at him. "I know. I was. And believe me when I say I would give almost anything to get that year of my life back."

He watched as Keith's expression faltered at that, gaze darting downwards. "But the one thing I _wouldn't_ give up is having you as my brother, Keith."

Eyes going wide, Keith looked up at him, hesitant hope in his eyes. It should have been reassuring, but it was just painful instead. How long had he lived with that fear, that he would somehow resent him for this?

However long it had been, it was too long.

Spreading out his arms, Shiro watched as Keith took a tentative step forward- before he threw himself into them. Wrapping his arms around his frame, Shiro buried his face in his hair, marveling at how much he smelled like earth.

Like _home_.

"I'm sorry," Keith croaked out, "-I should have told you more. I should have-"

"It's not your fault, Keith." Shiro cut him off. "None of this is."

"I'm the one who convinced you to go." Keith told him. "How can it not be my fault?"

"Going on the Kerberos mission was my choice." Shiro told him. "You can't blame yourself for this."

Keith nodded, but said nothing. He could feel his claws prick against his skin, easily piercing the thin fabric of the prison uniform he still wore, but he didn't pay it any mind. He was home, Keith was safe, and right now, that was all that mattered.

It was Keith who ended the embrace, not as tense as he was before, but still not wholly at ease, either. "I laid out some clothes in the bedroom. You can take a shower if you want."

"Oh, so you're saying I stink." Shiro grinned.

Crinkling his nose, Keith made a show of taking a step back. "Yes."

"Alright, duly noted." Holding up his hands, Shiro's grin only grew, taking it in good humor. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had anything close to a shower, so he probably did actually stink. "Guess I'll take you up on your kind offer. But how did you know to come find me?"

Looking up at him, Keith's expression became unreadable.

"When you're done," he told him, "-there's something I need to show you."

* * *

Showing him something turned into showing them _all_ something, as Lance refused to be left behind, and Hunk didn't want to be left alone in the shack without Lance. He didn't know what it was that Pidge had told them, but at the very least, aside from the odd suspicious glance in Keith's direction, they didn't seem to be taking to this all too badly.

Granted, they'd probably gotten the bulk of their freaking out done while he was unconscious. From the sound of it, they had followed Pidge out to where she was supposed to rendezvous with Keith, and as a result, had gotten caught up in their rescue attempt. There was yet another story there, but he'd ask about it in more detail later.

He'd showered and changed- and it was with a pang that he realized the clothes that Keith had given him belonged to his father. Even after all this time, he'd kept them. Save for the few that he used for doing laundry, he'd kept them all in good condition.

They fit perfectly.

The desert sun was blazing overhead- when he'd first come to his senses, it was still dawn. They only had two canteens between the four of them, but Keith had assured them that they wouldn't be going far, and he trusted him on that.

He recognized the cave system that Keith lead them to, but instead of taking them to the cave with the downed Galra ships in it, he instead lead them in a different direction. The cave he lead them to had also been sealed off, but Keith easily shoved the boulder blocking the entrance aside, earning him a low whistle from Lance.

"I've told Shiro this before," Keith began, not going in just yet, "-but when my mother first came to this planet, she crashed her ship, and had to be rescued by my father. That's how they met."

Nodding his head, Shiro recalled that. "I remember."

"I... never told him what she came here for." Keith admitted. "She was part of a scout team, sent out to try and pick up on any traces of a weapon known as Voltron."

Jerking his head up, Lance glanced between him and Pidge. "That's the thing Pidge mentioned, right? The one the aliens kept talking about."

Nodding his head, Keith exchanged a brief glance with Pidge, who beamed, clearly proud of herself. "I don't actually know that much about it. Just what the legends say."

"Isn't that the thing that Shiro said the aliens were looking for?" Hunk asked. "But wait- if your mom was sent to find it, shouldn't they like, already know where it is?"

"She wasn't trying to find it." Keith told him, nearly glowing with pride, the way he always did whenever he spoke of his mother. "She was trying to protect it."

He didn't know what it was, but something about that statement caused his head to hurt. He got a flash of something, but it was too faint, too quick, to make out what it was- a memory, maybe.

His memories of the past year were shaky at best, and non-existent at worst. Given what he'd gone through, it didn't entirely surprise him. While it was cause for concern, he'd worry about it later- right now, making sure this _blue lion_ stayed out of the hands of the Galra Empire was more important.

"You said she was a rebel, right?" Shiro asked.

Nodding his head, Keith wordlessly drew his knife, either ignoring or not noticing the way it caused both Lance and Hunk to flinch. "This knife was hers. It's connected to her life force, so I know she's still out there somewhere."

Huh. That he hadn't known.

Come to think of it, Keith had never once spoken of his mother like he thought she was dead. He'd chalked it up to hope on his part, but it looked as if he'd just known all along.

Sheathing his knife, Keith jerked his head in the direction of the cave. Without another word, he turned on his heel, heading into the cave. Trusting him, Shiro followed without hesitation, Pidge coming right along behind them. The pair of cadets lingered, before hurrying to catch up, curiosity outweighing any kind of apprehension.

Either that, or they just didn't want to be left alone in the middle of the desert.

At once, it became apparent that this was no ordinary cave.

Carvings of lions, some of them looking thousands of years old, adorned the walls wherever he looked. Traces of blue pigment still clung to a few of them, reminding him of the cracked and faded pigment that still clung to the charm Keith had carved for him.

He still had it, tucked safely away in one of his belt pouches. It was a miracle that it didn't break apart when he crashed, but he guessed it was made of sturdier stuff than he thought.

"What _is_ this place?" Hunk asked.

Turning to look back at him, Keith's eyes glowed in the dark of the cave. "This is where she's been resting."

"She?" Pidge asked. "Voltron is a she?"

Giving her a faint smile, Keith traced one of the carvings with his fingers, careful of his claws. "The blue lion is."

So Keith had known where it was, all along.

This had to be what he had wanted to show him, when he got back from Kerberos. What his parents had tried to protect, what _he_ had been protecting, all this time.

"So wait, what exactly _is_ this Voltron thing?" Lance asked. "Shiro said it was some kind of a weapon."

Glancing back towards him, Keith gave him a faint grin- an impish one, the kind that wouldn't look out of place on Pidge. Guess she'd rubbed off on him. "I think it's better if you see it for yourself."

Keith found his steps in the dark cave with practiced ease- even if he didn't have night vision that outshone any human's, Shiro suspected he would still be able to find where he was going. He must have come to see it countless times while living out on in the desert.

For four long years, it had likely been his only companion.

Faintly, he thought he could make out the sound of water dripping. Recalling Keith's uncanny ability to find water in the desert, he had to wonder if the blue lion had somehow been guiding him to it, all this time.

It sounded a bit silly, even in his head.

But whatever they were dealing with here, it _wasn't_ of this world. He'd seen for himself how attuned Keith could be to things beyond his understanding, so maybe the thought wasn't so silly after all.

Without Keith to guide them, they would have gotten lost for sure. The whole cave system was like a maze. At first, he thought nature had made it that way, but looking closer, he realized that much of its twists and turns had been man-made, designed to fool anyone who wandered in into going the wrong way.

Had Keith done this?

Maybe it had been his father, or even his mother. Could even be a family effort.

"...does anyone hear anything?" Lance suddenly spoke up.

"I hear water." Hunk said. "Is that what you're hearing?"

"No, it's something- something else." Lance frowned, brows knitting together. "I can't- I can't really explain it."

Pausing, Keith turned back to look at him, studying him with curious eyes. "Like this?"

It took him a second to realize that _Keith_ was the one producing that rumbling sound- it was different from his usual purring, _deeper_. Looking back towards Lance, he watched as something sparked in his eyes.

"Yeah, that's it!" Lance told him. "You hear it too?"

Keith ceased his rumbling, wordlessly reaching into one of his belt pouches. Making his way towards Lance, he took his hand without asking, pressing what he had taken out into it, curling his fingers around it.

It reminded him with a pang of something else, but he just couldn't place it.

"Uh," glancing down at the lion carving in his hand, painted a vivid blue, Lance was clearly trying to process what just happened, even as Keith was already moving on, "...thanks?"

"Oh neat!" Reaching into her pocket, Pidge dug out her own, holding up the lion carving that Keith had given her. "It matches mine!"

Not to mention his own- and Keith's.

"Aw, why don't I get a tiny lion?" Hunk complained.

Glancing back towards him, Keith tilted his head with a slight frown, before he reached into his belt pouch again, producing a matching lion carving, this one painted yellow. Tossing it Hunk's way, he had to scramble to catch it, but looked pretty darn pleased with himself once he had it.

Catching Keith's eye, he merely gave him a faint grin, before turning back on his heel. Resting a hand on his own belt pouch, where he had tucked the lion carving in with the charm, Shiro frowned, wondering if they had some kind of meaning.

Guess he'd find out.

It wasn't long before the presence of light within the dark cave drew his eyes forward. It gleamed blue, shining in the darkness. Taking a few steps forward, Shiro's breath hitched in his throat, eyes falling on the source of it.

This- this had to be it.

This was what they were looking for. What Keith had been protecting.

The blue lion of Voltron.

It stood over them, regal and proud, protected by some kind of force field, the likes of which he'd never seen before. It gave off an entirely different feeling from the pair of scout ships he'd been shown before- those had been menacing, but this? This was just beyond words.

He- and the others- could only look at it with awe.

Keith looked at it like it was an old friend.

"Is this it?" Pidge asked. "Is this the Voltron?"

Taking a few steps forward, Keith neatly leapt over what looked to be an underground river, one that divided them from the blue lion. Testing it with his foot, it looked to be shallow enough to wade through, so he did just that, proceeding with caution in the off chance he was wrong.

Catching up to Keith, he placed his left hand on his shoulder, before gazing up at the blue lion, unable to shake the feeling of awe he got from it. "I take it this is what you wanted to show me."

Nodding his head, Keith frowned. "I was planning on showing it to you when you got back from Kerberos. I thought... after everything you'd done for me, you deserved to know about it."

Smiling down at him, Shiro gave his shoulder a light squeeze. "I'm here now."

Keith's frown only deepened- from the looks of it, he hadn't been able to chase away all of his doubts. Looking back towards Pidge, she caught his eye, giving him a rueful smile. He still hadn't gotten the chance to talk to her, to get her version of events, but he definitely needed to.

How long had Keith been carrying around the knowledge that he had been taken by the Galra? If he had been holding it in all that time...

"Alright," Shiro began, pulling his hand away from Keith's shoulder and stepping forward, "-this is what they're looking for, so we can't let them get it. Keith, any ideas?"

"I don't know." Keith admitted. "She's never let me in."

"What," Lance began, his hand hovering just above the barrier, "-you never try to knock?"

* * *

They weren't alone in the castle.

Keith was fast.

But the alien was faster.

Before he could so much as react, she had him pinned to the floor, knee pressing into the small of his back. He let out a pained cry as she wrenched his arm behind his back, pinning it there with what could only be described as extreme prejudice.

"Keith-!"

Narrowing her eyes, the alien jerked her head up, locking gazes with him. It almost looked as if she expected to see someone- or some _thing_ \- else. Another Galra, some part of him supplied.

"You will tell me just who you are," she demanded, pressing her knee deeper into Keith's back, "-and why you have brought a Galra into _my_ castle."

She must have knocked the wind right out of Keith, because when he finally drew in a breath next, it was unsteady. Grunting, he tried to escape from the hold she had him pinned in, but it was no use- for once, he'd met someone stronger than him. Seeing that he couldn't get free that way, he turned pleading eyes on him, visibly desperate to get free.

By his side, Pidge bristled, taking a step forward. "Let go of Keith!"

Lance and Hunk just look deeply confused, frozen to the spot. Right. Nobody had told them that Keith was Galra yet.

"I will do no such thing." The alien stated. "Not until you answer my questions. Who are you people? Allies of the Galra?"

"Hold on," holding his hands up, trying to look as harmless as possible, "-I think there's been a misunderstanding. I promise you, we're not allies of the Galra Empire."

"And yet you have a Galra amongst your numbers." The alien stated.

"I'm not," Keith gasped out, his voice raspy, "-I'm not with the Empire."

As far as he saw it, he had two options- he could either talk this alien down, or he could use force. Seeing Keith writhing in pain like that was nearly enough to make him jump straight into the second option, but he forced himself to remain diplomatic, for at least awhile longer.

He should have expected something like this.

The Galra were reviled. He knew that much from the way the other prisoners spoke of them, when their captors couldn't hear them. He didn't know who this alien was, but it was clear that she was no different from them- the moment she'd laid eyes on Keith, all she had seen was the Galra, invading her castle.

"Please," Shiro implored her, "-I'll explain everything, but let Keith go first."

"Princess," the other alien, the one who had come out of the pod beside hers, spoke up, "-I think you should listen to him."

Narrowing her eyes, the princess gave them a considering look, before finally releasing Keith's arm. The moment he was free, Keith scrambled away from her, putting some distance between the two of them. There was already a bruise forming where his forehead had slammed into the ground, his lip bleeding where he had bit it.

His hand went for his knife, and he watched as the princess tensed- but as it remained there, hovering over it, she chose to do nothing, the two of them remaining in a standoff. He wasn't going to attack, but he wasn't about to let her anywhere near him again.

"I have freed him." The princess stated. "Now answer me. Who are you? Why have you brought a Galra here with you?"

"My name is Takashi Shirogane." Shiro began. "I come from a planet called Earth. We all do. Now why don't you tell us who you are, so we can try to come to some sort of understanding?"

The princess frowned, not yet taking her eyes off Keith. "I am Princess Allura, of planet Altea. And you _still_ have not answered my question."

"Weren't you listening?" Pidge asked. "Keith's _from_ Earth. He's human, like the rest of us."

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as something in Keith's shoulders eased. Taking a breath, he pulled his hand away from his knife, crossing his arms in front of him. Allura took note of this, but it only caused her frown to tighten.

"I think I know a Galra when I see one." Allura said simply.

"He could be a hybrid." The other alien pointed out. "Bit short for a Galra."

Brows furrowing, Keith gave the man a curt nod of his head. "I'm half-human, on my father's side. Like Pidge said, I was born and raised on Earth. I'm not with the empire."

Allura didn't look convinced. "So you say."

"Princess," Shiro cut in, "-I promise you, Keith isn't your enemy. He's the one who helped us find the blue lion. That's what brought us here."

At that, she just looked alarmed. "Why would you have the blue lion? What happened to its paladin?"

"Blaytz is dead." Keith told her, his words earning such a furious glare from the princess that he nearly thought she'd lunge at him again. "He died ten thousand years ago, with the rest of the original paladins."

And all at once, fury vanished.

"That cannot- that cannot be right." Allura said. "How can you be so sure?"

"I'm not." Keith admitted. "All I know is what my mother told my father."

"Coran," Allura began, "-check to see if what he says is true."

So the other alien was called Coran. Complying with the princess' request, he stopped just short of the control panel in the center of the room, bringing up a screen.

"Well?" Allura asked. "Is it true? Or is it just another Galra lie?"

"...I'm afraid it's true, princess. We've been asleep for ten thousand years."

There was unspeakable grief of the man's face when he looked back.

"Altea is gone."

* * *

"We need to talk."

Allura didn't even look at him.

She seemed to have accepted their presence on the Castle of Lions easily enough, once it became clear to her that they were not a threat. Once she'd learned that Lance had been able to fly the blue lion, her attitude towards them had transitioned from one of suspicion, to one of hope.

Except for Keith.

It was why he'd sent him along with Pidge, to claim the green lion. He didn't like the idea of leaving Keith alone with the princess, even if the other Altean- a man named Coran, didn't seem so bad.

And it wasn't that the princess was _bad_ , not exactly- she had been deeply betrayed, and was still hurting from that. But that was still no reason to take it out on Keith, so while he could understand where the princess was coming from, he refused to let things continue as they had been.

Keith had internalized enough negativity towards the alien half of his heritage as it was already. He didn't need any other reasons to hate himself.

He hoped letting him have some time alone with Pidge would help. Even if he'd made some rather vocal protests about Lance's skill as a pilot, it had still been clear to him that Keith had enjoyed every second of their exodus from Earth. That didn't exactly come as much of a surprise to him- he'd been longing for the stars ever since they'd met, so getting the chance to actually be up in them?

He was bound to be excited.

Which was part of the reason he'd gotten so far ahead of them. Part of the reason Shiro had let him out of his sight long enough for him to be attacked, pinned down.

He tried to fight back the surge of guilt that thought brought him. He'd promised to protect Keith, and even though he knew that he was more than capable of protecting himself, he couldn't help but feel like he'd failed in that, even if Allura had eventually saw reason.

He feared it wouldn't be the only time.

"I do not know what there is to talk about." Allura said simply.

"Yes, you do." Shiro told her. "You said there was no paladin for the red lion, but I saw the way you looked at Keith."

Keith, whose lion carvings had matched each paladin exactly.

Keith, who had carved a red one for himself.

Keith, who had grown up in the shadow of the blue lion.

Keith, who told the princess himself that he knew the red lion was in Galra hands, but that he just didn't know _where_ , or if that was even still true. It had been something his mother had told his father years ago now, so it was possible that it had changed hands during that time.

Either way, Allura was struggling to find it.

Her back stiffened at his accusation, but she turned to face it. "My father was the original paladin of the red lion. I am not about to let some _Galra_ fly it."

"From what I saw with Lance and the blue lion, I don't think that's your choice, princess." Shiro told her, not missing the way she bristled at his comment. "I know you have every reason to hate the Galra, but Keith was raised on Earth. He's just as human as the rest of us."

Narrowing her eyes, the princess looked far from convinced. "How can you be so sure? For all you know, he could be lying to you."

"Because," locking eyes with her, Shiro stood tall- _proud_ , even, because he was, he really, truly, was, "-I raised him."

The words carried weight.

She knew that he had been a prisoner of Zarkon's, though he'd been scant on the details. Yet he was still choosing to defend Keith, to glow with pride at the statement.

How couldn't he?

Thinking back to that skittish, awkward child he'd met in the desert... he'd grown so much since then. There wasn't a single part of Shiro that _wasn't_ proud of him.

"Princess," Coran spoke up, "-I think you ought to give the lad a chance."

"How can you say that, Coran?" Allura asked, turning on her heel to face him. "You know how much my father trusted Zarkon, and yet he, and countless others we thought our allies, still betrayed him. The Galra are _not_ to be trusted."

"That may be so," Coran told her, "-but the boy isn't Zarkon."

"Keith's not alone, either." Shiro told her. "His mother is a rebel, and she's Galra. I know for sure that there are others out there like her."

He... wasn't actually certain _why_ he was so sure of that, just that he was. Based on the sting of pain thinking about it earned him, it had to do something with his scrambled memories, but he just couldn't specifically recall _what_.

Had a Galra helped him escape?

It was possible.

For a long time, Allura merely stared at the pair of them, tense as could be. After what felt like ages, she let out a long sigh, allowing her shoulders to slump slightly. "Fine. But just for the record, I do not like this."

It wasn't a resounding vote of acceptance, but it would have to do. In time, she'd come around- once she got the chance to actually talk to Keith, to get to know him, she'd realize what he knew- that you'd be hard pressed to find someone that was more loyal than Keith.

Keith didn't have to save him, but he did.

That was back when he had still been terrified of the outside world- a fear that had kept him in the desert, away from other people for four long years, living in isolation. He could have left him where he found him, or treated him there and then disappeared- but he'd chosen to take him back to his home, to make sure that he was safe.

He'd saved his life that day.

Judging from the way he'd reacted once he realized the risk he had taken, he hadn't even thought twice about it. He'd just done it- even though by bringing an outsider into his home, he put himself at risk.

 _That_ was the sort of person Keith was.

"As for whether or not he is _truly_ the red paladin," Allura began, breaking off his thoughts, "-we will let the red lion decide that."

Somehow, he didn't think that would be a problem.

* * *

"Good kitty," Keith's voice was soft, _fond_ , "-let's roll."

* * *

He found him in the red lion's hangar.

It had been a little touch and go for awhile there, but they'd managed to form Voltron in the end. Keith had connected with the red lion just as he thought he would, and though it was clear that Allura didn't like it, she accepted it.

Still in his paladin armor, Keith sat crosslegged on the floor in front of the red lion, staring up at it. There was wonder in his eyes, clear for anyone to see, his pupils visible in the climate controlled confines of the castle-ship.

He made no move to greet him, but he knew from the way his ears twitched that he knew he was here. Sitting next to him, Shiro simply looked up at the red lion himself. If Keith wanted to talk to him, he would.

Otherwise, he'd just enjoy his company.

"For a long time, all I had was the blue lion."

Turning his head, he found that Keith was looking at him now. Uncertainty was etched into his features, enough to make his heart hurt.

"Then you came along." Keith told him, brows furrowing. "At first I thought... I thought you wouldn't stay, but you kept coming back."

"I made a promise." Shiro told him. "I like to keep those."

"When I heard about the Kerberos mission, I knew it was a lie." Keith told him, looking away. "That you couldn't be dead, that it couldn't be pilot error."

"I knew." Closing his eyes, Keith's hands balled into fists where they rested on his helmet. "I _knew_ , but I couldn't do anything about it. I tried- I tried to fix the ship, but I didn't know _how_. I thought if I did, I could find you. Find Matt and Mr. Holt. I thought- I thought if I did, I could bring you home, and things could go back to the way they were."

 _That maybe you wouldn't hate me_ wasn't spoken, but it ran like a thread through his words.

"I'm kind of glad you didn't." Shiro admitted, Keith's eyes snapping open in shock. "All I could think about when I was captured was that I couldn't let them know about you. I remember that much."

"Shiro, I-"

"We've gone over this before, Keith." Shiro told him. "You're family. Nothing will change that. Nothing _can_ change that. And I'm not the only one who thinks that."

Shoulders slumping, Keith's gaze drifted downwards. "When I told Pidge and Mrs. Holt, I thought they would hate me."

"Did they?"

Shaking his head, Keith frowned. "No."

Giving him a smile, Shiro reached out, lightly ruffling his hair. "That's because they know what I know. That you're a great kid."

That earned him a slight grumble, one that he was glad to hear. "I'm _eighteen_ , Shiro. I'm not a kid anymore."

"Nope," Shiro said simply, "-you're a kid until I say you aren't."

Looking up at him, Keith's lips pursed together in a tight frown. "When will that be?"

"Never."

Now Keith _did_ grumble, narrowing his eyes. "That doesn't sound fair."

"Sounds fair to me." Shiro told him. "That's how being the kid brother works."

For a long moment, all Keith did was glare at him- before he cracked, bursting into a fit of laughter. He felt his own grin grow, letting out a laugh in response, mercilessly attacking his hair, making a proper mess of it by the time he was done.

Visibly more at ease than he was before, Keith looked up at him. "I'm going to try and find my mom."

"Want me to help?" Shiro asked.

"No, this is something I need to do myself." Keith told him, looking down at his hands, eyes tracing his own claws. "I bet she'll be shocked to see me like this."

"She's going to be so proud of you, kiddo." Shiro said. "Trust me on that."

Looking over towards him, Keith frowned, brows knotting together in a quizzical expression. "Because I'm the red paladin?"

"That's part of it." Shiro told him. "But mostly it's because you're _you_."

Staring at him, Keith let his words sink in- before a smile gradually made its way onto his face. He'd been to the stars and back, but that smile, that rare, precious one that Keith rarely showed to anyone... the whole of the cosmos had nothing on it.

The head trauma, Shiro thought, had totally been worth it.


End file.
